He held onto Mom and Dad refusing to go in. He didn’t realize how much fun he would have that day. He met all new people and he was his own person. He has come a long way from that first day of Kindergarten, being scared to leave his parents, to being ready for college.

King’s High School senior, Nathan Hutzel has always been a small world person and is on the verge of graduating and going to college. He is very smart and it shows in his academic work. Away from academic work, Nathan is a creative, talented and driven.

Nathan enjoys archery, drawing, writing, playing the viola and learning about astronomy. He never ended up getting into sports. Baseball was always on the list for him but he thought it was too late to start sophomore year. His advice to anyone wanting to do something in high school is to do it before it is too late and you regret not participating.

Nathan feels that school is the way of trying to get out there, a way to make friends. “High school helped me figure out who I am as a person. I started high school very shy and awkward. I’m leaving less shy but still a little awkward”.

He admitted he over thought High school because he was nervous to put himself out there. However, he made so many friends when he stopped overthinking so much. He used to keep to himself and wasn’t very interested in the concept of having a lot of friends. He could not be happier that he decided to branch out rather than staying so closed off.

He made more friends during freshman year when a few seniors decided to create a gaming club; he’s been going ever since. This club gives the kids that like to play video games a chance to play with all new people that they wouldn’t have even known even liked video games. The classroom is filled every Friday.

Although it would be nice for high school to be about just getting more comfortable with yourself and meeting new people, Nathan says it’s also academically stressful. For him, the stress was from math over the last 2 years. He used to be accelerated in math classes but when he got into high school, the more advanced classes got harder and harder. He picked those classes to challenge himself but sometimes he admits it was hard not to give up on the class.

           His parents were the ones to challenge him, he says, “anytime I found myself slacking they were always pushing me harder so I could get the grades they knew I could get.” Mrs. Hutzel says, “he was always capable of so much on his own and I knew he just needed a little sense of direction.” Nathan also wanted to dedicate that determination to his grandpa.

His dad agrees, “Nathan’s drive to get things done reminds me so much of his grandpa.” Even with his current health his grandpa does not take a break when he knows something needs to be done. He says, “Things will not get done if you are relying on someone else to do them for you.”

           Nathan’s sister, Kaylee, looks up to him. She says, “He has never been afraid with being himself. He is honest and stands up for what he believes in.” Kaylee believes he could be doing something with orchestra, playing his viola because she knows he loves playing but she knows how intelligent he is and can see his potential for being an engineer or doing anything with science. He is known for being able to talk your ear off with information she has never even considered thinking about. His mind is so open and out there which is important when it comes to science. It makes perfect sense that Nathan enjoys his engineering class and that he got a 5 on his AP biology test. He’s very proud of his work in engineering; he helped design the coffee cart in the front of the high school.

Nathan is going to the University of Cincinnati and has accepted into mechanical engineering program. In the future, he plans on re-designing mechanical components.

After starting high school as a shy, awkward individual, he’s leaving a more confident person with new dreams. Nathan Hutzel is an under appreciated hard worker.