'The Nicks' Go Out On Top

Nick Klinka and Nick Spoerk were recognized as National Merit Finalists during Monday night's Muskego-Norway School Board meeting. The recognition is an honor enough - the designation is earned by only 0.1% of all U.S high school students - but was more special as 'the two Nicks' are also good friends, and have been since becoming neighbors more than 8 years ago.

"We were in the same class through grade school for six years in a row, and we lived just a few houses apart," explained Spoerk, who will attend UW-Madison to pursue a major in molecular biology. Klinka and he will part ways, but only geographically, as Klinka will attend Louisiana State University in fall in chemical engineering, looking for a degree eventually in law.

Additionally, both Nick's will graduate as Valedictorian and Salutatorian respectively with the highest GPA in the history of Muskego High School exceeding 5.0 on a 4.0 scale, according to Melinda Klinka. Klinka's AP courseload has given him a 5.1 and just behind him is Spoerk with a 5.0 average.

The similarity in name and educational success have been a longtime hallmark of the boy's friendship, she said.

"'The Nicks' as they are known have been friends since 1st grade and since 4th grade began their school day an hour earlier in order to be accelerated into math and science classes at the middle school and later the high school. They both have significant extracurricular activities on their resumes," Melinda said. "While their academic success has been awesome, they remain very grounded and empathetic young men who anyone is proud to know."

Lucy Spoerk, the other Nick's mom, explained the boys "were 'cluster grouped' in classes, beginning in first grade.  That way they were in the same class but could travel to advanced classes, with a friend, and not feel awkward about leaving their peers.  Teachers knew them as 'the Nicks' and so did we, the Nicks' parents!  As a mother I once got a Mother's Day card from my own son, signed, Nick S.  He automatically included the S so in class the teacher would know which Nick.  I laughed as a mother, like I needed to know it was Nick Spoerk!"

Together, they are co-presidents of Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society, a society dedicated to math proficiency and academic achievement. Spoerk was trumpet section leader in the marching band for the last three years; Klinka was a section leader in the last two.  They both play trumpet in the  school's jazz ensemble, with Spoerk playing first chair and Klinka playing third, so they even stand next to each other when performing.

They've even competed in a group scholarship together, as a team, not against each other. In fact, Spoerk said they've never felt the need to outdo each other.

"We've never really talked about competing for the top spot, and we seem to have an unspoken agreement not to wage an AP war with each other in which each of us would completely lose our social lives," he said. "Competition was never that important.  I mean, we challenged ourselves for our own intrinsic motivation, but never for the purpose of one-upping each other."

The two young men enter graduation from Muskego High School, leading the class of 2012 on June 17 as they have done nearly everything through their school years - together.