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As graduation day approaches, seniors at Ramstein High School will be making decisions that will impact them for the rest of their careers. No matter their passion, students are ready to jump into the unknown, but for one student, her future appears crystal clear.
Julia Nakamoto, daughter of retired Master Sgt. Harold Nakamoto, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa financial analyst, will be graduating from RHS with not only a diploma, but with the 2016 USAFE Military Youth of the Year award under her belt.
President of the Ramstein Calculus Club two years running and a part of both the German and National Honor Society, Nakamoto will go on to compete for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America European Military Youth of the Year honors against U.S. Army in Europe and U.S. Naval Forces in Europe youth with a follow-on chance at regional- and national-level competitions March 23-24 in Stuttgart.
In 2016, Nakamoto was awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service award, donating more than 125 hours of volunteer service to the community.
“She’s very driven when it comes to leading,” said Montaque Bussey, 86th Force Support Squadron Ramstein youth programs teen program coordinator. “It’s amazing to see and hear about her perseverance through the challenges she’s faced.”
In between duties as President of the Ramstein Teen Center’s Keystone Club and maintaining a 4.0 unweighted G.P.A, Nakamoto has participated in a “Do It Yourself” Girls Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math class specifically designed to generate interest in science among girls from sixth to 12th grade within the Kaiserslautern Military Community for the last three years.
“It allows me to reach out to the community and become a better leader,” Nakamoto said. “I wasn’t a leader before, but since joining these programs I’ve met people that share the same goals as me and believe in the same things I do. It has definitely changed me as a person.”
The Keystone Club on Ramstein engages military youth in community projects, one of them being deployment care package set-up. Nakamoto and other students went to the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center’s food court and passed out flyers listed with different necessary items that deployed military personnel may need. Once they were filled, boxes that held these items were set to ship to deployed service members.
“Keystone focuses on teen outreach, community service, academic success, and career preparation,” Bussey said. “Throughout her time here, Julia has embodied those and stepped up as an integral part of our Keystone program.”
In addition to taking 11 Advanced Placement courses at RHS and receiving an AP Scholar Award, Nakamoto studies Korean, Japanese, and German, and plans to pursue an Air Force medical career.
“Just being able to call myself the youth of the year for Ramstein and for USAFE is an amazing thing,” Nakamoto said. “An achievement like this motivates me to present myself in the best possible way.”
As Nakamoto prepares to begin the rest of her life, Ramstein celebrates having the best and brightest within their ranks.
