For some, the last few years have been difficult, but for new cross country coach and math teacher, Nicholas Cluster, this new school year is the perfect year to start fresh. The 2021-22 school year will be Cluster’s first year as a ninth grade math teacher as well as his first year coaching the NAHS cross country team. 

Although this is Cluster’s first year embarking on a teaching and coaching path at North Atlanta, he is no stranger to Atlanta and the schools in the area. As a highschooler, he attended Grady Highschool (now Midtown Highschool), played football, and even earned a spot as a captain. After highschool, he majored in business at South Carolina State where he met Professor Andrew Hudine who Cluster says inspired him to pursue a career in teaching and mathematics and acted as his role model. “It’s all about doing what you enjoy and feel passionate about,” he said. 

Cluster experienced his first teaching opportunity as a tutor during his senior year of college. Although he liked “pure mathematics,” which are subjects such as precalculus and calculus, he felt he had a strong calling toward being an educator and giving back to the community. Directly out of college, Cluster took a teaching job working for Booker T. Washington and later became a math professor at his alma mater. After moving back to Atlanta to be closer to family, Cluster knew he had to find a job sharing his passion for math with the next generation. Fortunately for the Warriors, his history as a Grady Knight did not deter him from entering into a teaching position at NAHS. “Being a student at Grady meant being huge rivals with the North Atlanta Warriors,” Cluster said.

Despite this former high school rivalry, Cluster is already on the path to becoming a Warrior through and through. Now, as a ninth grade math teacher for North Atlanta, he looks to inspire students and become a mentor for teens who might need one. “It was great having a role model like Professor Hudine, so I also wanted to give kids someone to look up to,” he said. 

Just as Cluster hopes to be a role model for his students, he additionally is a leader for his athletes as a first year coach of the cross country team. Alongside Coach Matt Farrell, Coach Cluster is excited to learn more about the sport of cross country. Despite feeling more comfortable in a weight room and never having been a runner, Cluster is willing to try something new for his running Dubs. “I once tried to run at practice, but I ran for about a mile and decided I had had enough,” he said.

So, while running in the Olympics may not be a likely possibility for Cluster, inspiring the NAHS students and runners to achieve their dreams could be. He’ll just have to make sure he swaps his (Grady) Knights’ armor for the Warriors’ black and silver!