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Nicole Lantz, a sophomore at Fossil Ridge, is a very vibrant person. With her bright blue and purple hair she stands out from everyone else, and she loves it. Her colorful hair attraction started in 6th grade, she was a natural blonde, but then dyed it to black. Once it faded, she switched to red for the rest of middle school. “I think when I dyed it bright, I got obsessed with having colorful hair. A lot of kids would come up to me and called me Ariel and that’s probably my favorite part about having colorful hair. I love little kid’s reactions and I love being called a mermaid. Plus, I like being able to stand out in a crowd cause I’m super short”. Her next choice in color is switching from the blue and purple to bright green.
Growing up trying 6 different sports, Lantz discovered how much she loved drawing and coloring. “I always had my coloring books. I’ve been drawing and painting my whole life and it’s basically the only thing I have a true passion for. I plan on going to an art institute to be a graphic designer with a masters in drawing and painting”. Lantz shows her passion in the art clubs and classes at Fossil. “I love the art department, they are goofy and free and we all have a lot in common. We laugh a lot and it makes me feel special. When I’m sad I can go and hang there. It’s a supporting environment and I adore it so much”.
Other than the art classes at Fossil, Lantz was surprised to find her English class and teacher, Mrs. Madison, to be super fun and useful. With Mrs. Madison’s “crazy spirit and fun energy,” they click. “We connected right from the back when she started dancing in class and I was the only one laughing. She’s a strong supporter and is super loving. I admire how outgoing she is and how much she loves to make people happy and laugh. Plus she brought me hot chocolate when I was feeling sad, so basically, how could I not love her?”.
One of Lantz’s favorite memories is when her grandfather told her if she ate a whole can of raw spam, he would buy her all of the clothes she wanted. She added that he had to paint his nails before they went shopping. “I threw up two times and got a really nice sweater”.
On a more serious note, even with her unnatural hair and having the desire to yell at people standing in the hallways, Lantz has a big heart. Respecting and caring for other people, and receiving the same treatment, is in Lantz’s opinion, a two-way street. “If you don’t respect me, I don’t feel obligated to respect you and I feel like that’s where people get their judgements from, but the reality is, I would give up anything for someone who truly deserves it. I put other people in front of myself all the time. I hate selfish people more than anything and I try my best to not be a hypocrite”. Putting the happiness of others before her own, Lantz is a very kind person and wants to support everyone she can, “a smile goes a long way, and I want everyone to have good days”.
