Nate Richemond is a senior at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School. His passions shine as he’s on the JFKMHS volleyball team, a member of the jazz band, president of guitar club, and co-captain of step team. He is also an honorary member of FCCLA, Tri-M, choir, BSU, and Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. Nate has been a guitarist for two and half years and plans to continue with his music after he graduates.
What kind of music do you enjoy?
Nate: Math rock and Midwest emo…I’d say Chon is my number one [band], and Hail the Sun.
What are your hobbies and how did you get into them?
Martial arts, I got into that when I was four because of my mom’s boyfriend at the time. He was a black belt, and he got me and my mom into martial arts. Since then I just kept doing it and now I’m a black belt.
In sophomore year I joined the Step Team. I joined because of an upperclassman at the time who I looked up to. She told me to do it, so I did. It was fun and cool and I liked it.
I started to play guitar my sophomore year. What motivated me to do that was just how much I love music and how much I listen to it. I was like, “Dang, it’d be cool if I was able to make my own.” So I started to teach myself how to do that.
Volleyball’s weird because I don’t remember exactly how, but I do know that it was because of Sean [Topacio] and Petar [Cvijanovic]. Sean brought me to WCC [Woodbridge Community Center] for an open gym. That was when I met a bunch of the volleyball kids they were all super chill and they all kind of wanted me to get better cause they saw I had a crazy vertical, so they wanted me to get good, so they started to teach me stuff. So that’s what got me into it. The community at the WCC was accepting and welcoming, so I thought it could be cool, and from there I just kept playing volleyball.
I met a bunch of people that I made a really good bond with, especially one who passed away. Rest in peace my boy, Noah Legaspi. He was really one of the biggest factors in my growth as a player. Noah, Sean, Petar, and everyone that is on the team now. I love the team we have this year, I have a good bond with pretty much everyone. I’m going to miss them a lot.
Sewing. I took fashion my sophomore year and that’s when I met Mrs. Santana and it was just amazing from the jump. Mrs. Santana had great energy. We bonded and she was a great teacher. I really enjoyed making clothes it was a fun creative thing. It was funny ’cause around that time I was making clothes online, so that kind of transitioned me into a creative mindset of making something and getting to wear that. It was a transformation in real life when I was actually able to sew, it had the same dopamine effect. One of my favorite shows growing up, Bleach, had tons of fashion inspiration. The art is so good and the outfits are so well done.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My mom, she’s always there for me, she always pushes me to do what I want to do. Whenever I’m struggling with something, she does her best to pull me through it, whether it’s helping me herself, or finding me resources that can better me for my future.
What drives you to get up every morning?
To be honest, it’s volleyball at the moment, mostly volleyball [practice], and wanting to play.
What is your biggest achievement, and what did it mean to you?
Last year, one of my biggest goals was to join the jazz band. It was my first full year of playing guitar and I wanted to challenge myself and try to get into an ensemble. I spent a lot of time practicing the music because I didn’t know how to read [sheet] music or anything like that, and I eventually made it. It was so much fun. I love being a part of the jazz band.
When you’re faced with challenges, how do you overcome them?
If it’s a skill issue, I just keep working on it until I get better. Any other problems, I just keep pushing through it, I know it’s cliché, but I just push through it.
What fear have you overcome, or are you working to overcome?
Singing in front of people. I don’t have trouble performing, but put me in a room full of people, I am not singing. It’s not something I do, but choir class with Mr. Casem helped.
Do you have a personal philosophy that shapes your outlook on life?
Try to have fun doing the things you do.
What’s an experience that significantly shaped who you are today?
The transition from eighth to ninth, because that’s when the pandemic happened for me. There were a lot of changes within myself. I was starting to get into different things that I would’ve never discovered. For me, spending so much time alone with myself was a huge reason I am who I am now. I was able to self-discover and learn to never care so much about what other people think.
What important lessons has life taught you?
People don’t care as much as you think. I know it’s hard, but don’t let the negative outshine the positive. For every person who hates on you, three more people look up to you.
