Senior Spotlight: Naomi Kassahun (12-2)

I will never forget about my lovely Walmart - Chick-fil-A complex off the Roosevelt, love to go there. Also, don’t forget to go to the park with your friends, like Ms. Hala Alhuraibi. You can also always go to each other's houses because you don’t always need to be out and spending money. Also, (this is my redemption for you Tracy) play tennis!

What is your favorite aspect about being Ethiopian?

So many things. I think it would have to be the community and the culture. You know, I go to church every week and the people there, I love my people, I grew up with them, they are like a family to me. For all you Ethiopians out there in this school there is hope! Never forget, I’m here. Naomi Kassahun in 12-2 will be there for you!

I understand you have a black belt in karate, tell us about your journey to achieve such an honor?

Thank you for asking me this question. These are my roots, and I haven’t visited karate in a while. Let me start you off with my journey. My brother, Nathanael started karate off young and I saw him and wanted to do the same. So what did I do, I joined karate. Me, just a white belt, I was in the lower class, just sort of hitting and going around, until the teacher (I still remember his name, Sensei Robinson) moved me up to the upper class. At this point I was a yellow belt (and by the way, on the record, I was promoted before Nathanael) my brother then joined me and we began to move up the ranks quickly. We were doing well over the years and then comes the time where we have our brown belt with three stripes meaning you are right there at your black belt. At the end of class one day, Sensei faces us and says “you’re ready” (for our junior black belt test in shotokan karate). So then it happened, on a fine June month in 2016, I was just a mere 12 years old. I did cry that day, there were adults pouncing on me but we got it, we got the belt. I haven’t touched karate in four years but it will still always be a part of me, thank you for asking such a beautiful question.

What have you learned from being a leader of AACC and HAAMS, especially when working with the middle school?

Oh, I’ve learned so much, what have I not learned is really the question. To learn or to not learn, you know what I mean. Well, I have learned how to build relationships with middle schoolers, in the sense that they are kind of chaotic and kind of crazy but you know *long pause* I love them. I also love the bonds I build with the people, Naima Clark and I were the OG HAAMS members of our grade and we got everyone to join and realize how great of a club it truly is.

As the current captain of the Girls tennis team, what is your favorite meal after tennis practice?

After tennis practice, I love to eat sushi from Yamato Sushi. Love me some salmon, tuna rolls, and some spicy mayo. My brother loves Chick-fil-A but this is not about him actually, it’s about me so scratch that from the record.

What song is currently on replay?

Let me pull out my playlist. Song I’ve been listening to a lot recently is “I Gotta Find Peace of Mind” by Lauryn Hill. It’s nine minutes long but it’s nine minutes of Heaven. I’ve also been listening to a lot of the Weeknd and Rihanna recently, been in a sort of funk.

Follow up: Thoughts on Rihanna returning for the Super Bowl?

I feel great, I feel happy, I saw the post of her with that football hand and she’s back! She better not do any makeup tour while she’s there, I don’t wanna see Fenty Beauty, I wanna see Rihanna beauty.

What is your least favorite nickname and why?

My least favorite nickname now would be Momo. It was created in the sixth grade and everybody in sixth grade called me Momo. One year later, in seventh grade, the whole Momo challenge with the girl and the funny face came out. People were calling me Momo and I took offense to the name Momo the Hobo, I had to delete that, it was too much for me and too much for my livelihood. Some people, I don’t want to name names but Sammie Keenan and Hala Alhuraibi still have Momo in their contact list and I will kindly use this Voices article to ask them to delete that.

Any comment on Momo the Hobo’s return?

No comment

Do you have any memorable childhood stories?

One time, I was in the second grade and I remember we were sitting on the rug for story time. I was thinking, Wow, it’s kind of hot today, let me take off my shoes and then, I thought wow it’s so hot in fact, let me take off my socks too. I remember those white fuzzy socks which I told myself to remember to grab at the end of story time because then it will be really embarrassing if I don’t grab them. And low and behold I forgot to grab them. Back at our seat my lovely teacher, Ms. Gramalia asked the class whose white socks are these and I embarrassingly had to raise my hand and say they were mine. I thought about just not saying anything and going the rest of the day without the socks but that’s not who I was at my core.