Natalie Schultz

Natalie Schultz - New York
Nomination by Nancy Balistreri
Photography by Zula Sonner Photography
Issue 83 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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​Nomination: Natalie Schultz is such an inspiration because she is beautiful inside and out. Kindness exudes her personality and is shown in the way she treats others. She is confident yet humble. Natalie has an enthusiasm for dance and she loves to share her passion for dance with her fellow dancers and her dance students. She is very hardworking, responsible, and determined to accomplish her goals. What impresses me most is that her beauty inside is unmatched and makes her heart glow. She is truly an inspiration to me.

Photography by Zula Sonner Photography
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Tell us about your dance career.
I started dancing when I was two years old and this is my sixteenth year at the same studio Performing Arts Dance Academy. I am on their competitive dance team.

What do you love most about dancing?
I love that when I dance it distracts me from the life around me. I am able to create my own artistry, and dance through stress letting it all go.

What types of dances do you study? Which is your favorite and why?
I do all styles of dance at my studio that they offer: ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary, theater dance, hip hop, and lyrical. My favorite style of dance is jazz, because I love learning all the fun steps and love the sass. This style is so fun for me to learn as it always keeps me quick on my feet and has fun music.

What has your favorite memory been with dance?
My favorite dance memory has been the long lasting friendships I have made and learning to work as a dance team. I would see the same girls everyday after school and have known them since the very beginning. I have had many fun experiences, formed the closest friendships, and I do not regret one moment of it.

What is a favorite accomplishment you've had with dance?
My favorite and biggest accomplishment is becoming a ballet teacher and a part of the staff and family at my dance studio. For the longest time I have wanted to be a teacher and make others love dance. I am looking forward to choreographing my first dance for recital.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover?
Natalie inspires those around her to treat others with kindness and respect. Natalie is a very friendly girl as well, and can start conversations with just about anybody. This inspires those around her because she makes everyone feel comfortable and then others match her personality.

What is your friend group like and what do you like to do together?
My friend group from dance is very silly and fun. We like to just spend time together and go to the movies. My school friends and I are conservative and inclusive. We have fun shopping and going out to dinner.

Where would we find you and your friends on any given Saturday afternoon and what would you be doing?
Pilates and Starbucks are our early Saturday afternoon events. After that, we will most likely be at the mall.

What else would you like to talk about?
Natalie is a very easy going fun person to be around that makes all those around her match her level of energy. Natalie likes to have a good time and likes to spend time with friends and family.

Tell us about your family. Where do you fit in and where do you stand out?
My family is very small and very intimate. I fit in because I am very friendly like most of my family. I stand out because I have a big personality, and bring life to the family.

What is a favorite family tradition you hope never ends?
Making cookies at Christmas time at the bakery that we make every year from my grandma's recipe.

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?
Natalie feels passionate about her family's bakery business. She is very proud to talk about this, because she is the fourth generation. Natalie, following in her grandpa's footsteps, can say they are the best bakery in Western New York. Many customers still reminisce about it years ago so she is very happy to keep up the memories.

What is your earliest memory of your family's bakery?
When my grandma and grandpa still worked there and I got to see my grandpa and grandma make all the pastries so fast and have good customer service to every customer that walked in.

How do you help out in the bakery?
I started working the cash register at a very early age, and always stuck with it. I actually enjoy customer service now with the general public because it taught me how to deal with others.

What have you learned about the world of business from this experience?
I have learned that you always want to make customers happy and never rush them while in your place of business.

What is your favorite thing to eat at the bakery?
Our cannoli's are always ranked #1 by taste testers and are delicious. I also love the Nutella crescent.

How did you find your photographer? What was your experience like? What did you love most about it?.
Natalie found Zula from Instagram posts and her friends who used her as their photographer before. Her experience was incredible. Natalie has no negative things to say about Zula. She most loved Zula's patience and the way she was hands on with making sure she looked perfect in every picture. Zula took five hours with her and let her do up to nine outfit changes.

If you had nothing to do and all day to do it, where would we find you?
Laying by a beach suntanning.

What is up next for you that you are super excited about?
I am super excited for my class's senior trip to Disney and all the fun traditions we have as seniors and spirit weeks. I am also excited for my dance year and dance competitions and am looking forward to College next year.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
I would say believe in yourself, keep working on yourself, and you are your biggest worst enemy.

3 Things on your bucket list
1. Travel the world
2. Be able to speak fluent french to go to France
3. Build my dream home
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Look for Natalie in issue 83 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
*Interviews are not edited after received from our inspiring teens - what you read is who they genuinely are!

click here for more information on issue 83

click here to nominate an inspiring teen