By: Dana Hathaway and Angela Sheu

Editorial and News Editors

Freshman Nelson Kramer is, by all definitions, a true Renaissance man. From track and theater to choir and media, the wide variety of Kramer’s interests showcases how his consistent tenacity ensures nothing will stand in his way.

Kramer’s running career kicked off at Fisher Middle School, where he ranked fourth in Santa Clara County last year for the 800m race and “did really well on hurdles.” The athlete noted that he initially began track because “[his] mom used to run track in high school.” He added, “She is actually in the Hall of Fame for track right now.” Kramer recalled that his brother, LGHS senior Miles Kramer, “attempted to get me into rowing, and it was such an experience…I never wanted to go back.” The track community also drew him to the sport, and Kramer shared, “At first it was really intimidating because there’s a lot of guys that are super fast already…but they’re super nice, and they always know how to make you feel like one of them, so it’s super cool.” He got to League Finals in hurdles last year and aims to qualify for the Arcadia Invitational — the country’s biggest track event — this year.

A true student athlete, Kramer has only positive things to say about his teachers and classes this year. He specifically pointed out his love for learning languages with “Mr. [Dominic] Calmels who is super chill…he’s really comforting, and super nice and welcoming.” Kramer is also taking Honors Biology and stated “I wanted to try an honors class, and even though it’s not my favorite class, I really love my teacher — Ms. [Monica] Minson is the best.” 

Another class Kramer enjoys this year is Multimedia Journalism. He reflected, “I love learning about Adobe [products]. I didn’t have any experience, but now I can use Adobe Audition or Premiere Pro [to] edit videos. I don’t have a good camera yet, but I want to practice filming and maybe start a YouTube channel.” In his sophomore year, he hopes to continue learning about media as a part of El Gato or Yearbook. 

As only a freshman, Kramer already has a specific hope for his future: to be an actor. Although his background in musical theater inspired him, he is particularly interested in pursuing on-screen acting — and its real and personal focus. His goal is to attend acting school after high school. 

Bringing a positive and ambitious attitude to everything he tackles, Kramer will certainly continue to grow and achieve great things throughout the rest of high school and beyond.