Nicholas R. Ketchum
Owner, NK Design
Nicholas R. Ketchum (Nick) is a 23-year-old college student, entrepreneur, tutor, volunteer, activist, food and music-lover. He graduated from Dansville High School and the STAR Institute in 2001 with honors. He is currently attending Lansing Community College with plans to transfer to Michigan State University to study advertising. Nicholas also owns and operates NK Design Studio where he designs websites and print media. He has worked with high profile clients such as D&J Promotions/Management, Inc. and the national recording artist group “The Singletons”, along with other various businesses, organizations, groups and individuals from across the United States.
Nicholas has always been energetic, curious, and creative. As a child his main passion was art. “I was constantly drawing or experimenting with paint,” he said. “I made my mark wherever I could. I’ll never forget the day my mother discovered the mural I drew all over my bedroom wall with magic markers. She still hasn’t fully recovered from the incident. Fortunately I’ve moved on to other mediums.”
During childhood, Nicholas’s artistic talent wasn’t the only trait getting him noticed. When he was 12 years old, Nicholas developed a strong interest in computers. “At first I was attracted to computers because I wanted to know how they worked. My parents owned an old IBM computer, but they were never able to figure out how to use it. So for me, that old computer was a mysterious machine that I wanted to figure out. Once I did figure it out, I wanted to dig deeper into technology. In other words, by teaching myself the DOS command line and how to write programs, I had fueled a deep desire to push boundaries elsewhere.”
By high school Nicholas was busy mixing his creative and technical talents to create experimental websites and graphics. “Although I continued to draw, paint, and play guitar, my true love was creating cool stuff on the computer. The huge range of possibilities the computer offered gave me an extraordinary outlet for creative work that could reach millions of people across the globe. I simply couldn’t stop.”
It wasn’t long before Nicholas started building websites for paying customers. “I was the only kid in high-school that had ‘clients’. I was in a unique situation – my buddies would invite me out to do something, and oftentimes I would tell them that I had to go to a meeting or there was a deadline approaching. But all in all I was very lucky to have had a taste of the ‘real world’ so early on in my life.”
Since high school Nicholas has continued to pursue his passion for pushing the limits. After graduating he helped start and manage a computer retail business, served as a supplemental instructor in economics at Lansing Community College, tutored students in computer-related fields, co-managed a political campaign, all while attending college. “I think it’s important to stay busy doing a variety of things. I do not want to become too narrow minded lest I forget the things that have brought me as far as I have come. For me, and I apologize for using this cliché, the key to my success have been the perpetual challenges I’ve brought upon myself. Sure, those challenges were often frustrating, but those challenges have given me real, tangible value to the success that I’ve worked to achieve.”
Nicholas also looks to his future aspirations for motivation. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve always had this special place in my heart for New York City. It’s where great people do great things. When I visit the city I can feel its pulse, and it’s invigorating. Hopefully, if I’m lucky enough, maybe someday I can call it home. At least for a little while.”
