Nona Alumni: Timothy Richardson

By Nicole LaBosco

In this recurring monthly special, Nonahood News will be featuring those who’ve graduated from Lake Nona High School and will recognize the achievements they’ve made since. Some will have been a part of the first graduating class. Others might have graduated a few years later. Few have stayed in the Lake Nona area, and many have explored the world or are still doing so. Let’s see where life’s journey has taken them so far!

Name: Timothy Richardson

Age: 24

Year Graduated: 2011

Occupation: Professional Actor and Model

Current Location: Atlanta, GA

This month, I caught up with former classmate Timothy Richardson. Back in high school, he was known for being a track star, and his senior superlative was the same as mine – owning the nicest car. Pretty funny when we look back at that award and the picture of us posing with our cars. Richardson was new to Lake Nona High but wasn’t new to the area.

“So, I’ve actually always lived in the Orlando area, but it wasn’t until my senior year of high school, which was from 2010-2011, [that] I made the decision to transfer to Lake Nona High School. I just wanted a change, and I embraced the fresh start of a newly constructed school. I figured it would be a great footnote in my own life to be one of the first students to leave history for others to follow. So, although I was only there for one year, I was fortunate to do some pretty memorable things. Becoming the first male track athlete to earn state medals will always be something I look back on.”

Like most students about to graduate, Richardson had goals for after high school, and he was able to achieve them, but it also opened his heart to a new passion. “My goal was just to always go to college. I’m the first person in the family to attend a post-secondary institution and earn a degree. I didn’t really have my eyes set on a specific college, but I was blessed to have first been accepted into Florida Tech University, and then, shortly after, I transferred to the University of Miami. I graduated from the University of Miami in 2016 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Physiology. While in Miami, I started to cultivate my love and passion for acting, so I made the conscious decision to pursue that as well.”

From being a high school track phenom to studying exercise physiology to acting and modeling, one might begin to wonder how Richardson ended up on that path. “I’m a strong believer that everything happens FOR us, not TO us in life. When I was seven years of age, my father passed, and I think that was the start of me transforming and maturing as a young man at an early age. I was always passionate and motivated. [I] didn’t always know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do something significant. That led me to start my own nonprofit called Ties for Change, a comprehensive mentoring program that focuses on guiding young black adolescents and teaching them valuable professional skills that can aid them so they can be successful in the business world. I currently reside in Atlanta, Ga., where I’m an actor and model full-time, this being my outlet and muse. I’m able to share my work as an artist, whether it’s on the screen or [in] print and tell a story or an honest truth that has been hidden. My journey has been subject to a lot of ups and downs, but I embrace each chapter of hardship because it allows me to grow.”

Through the hustle and bustle of acting, modeling and running his own non-profit, it could be easy to lose himself and be too busy to really enjoy the activities he’s fond of aside from work. Richardson proves his desires aren’t just fads. “Health and wellness has always been something that’s near and dear to my heart, so working out isn’t a hobby per sé, but a way of life rather. I’m a huge movie buff, and I could spend all day doing scene analyses, especially anything with Denzel Washington in it. I recently created a visual group that’s going to tell stories and capture the essence of black culture through photography and cinema. I’m also writing for the first time and have plans to publish a book this Christmas.”

When asked where he sees himself in the next five years, he pondered a bit. “This is always a difficult question for me to answer because I live in the now and try to stay so present because time is moving so rapidly, but I would have to say just being successful at what I’m passionate about. I’m a continuous learner, so I will always be a student of not only life but academics as well. I’ll try to find my avenue and see how I can help educate others, whether it’s from my social media platform or a classroom.”

Some of Richardson’s current goals are to continue doing what he loves and to grow in talent, influence and knowledge. “My biggest and most important goal at 24 years of age is just continuing to push myself to never be comfortable. I feel God has given all of us these extraordinary talents and visions, and I just want to make sure I’m showing how grateful I am by pursuing my dreams. I also want to continue to grow my platform so I can be more influential and touch a larger sector of people. I’m passionate about bringing the best out of others, so anything I do I want it to have substance and a meaning. So my goal is to continue doing movies or projects that teach. One production I have the honor of being cast in is Deep Greenwood: The Hidden Truth of Black Wall Street. This will be a traveling stage play that tells the story of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during 1921, a thriving economy that was burned down and hidden from America’s history. I’m honored to be a character who was an actual resident of the town and tell their story.”

While he’s already accomplished so much in just 24 years, Timothy has also had many other major milestones in the last year alone. “I was blessed to have worked in my first feature film called The House Invictus, which will debut in June of this year. I became Mr. United States 2017, which was an extraordinary experience that allowed me to connect with a wide variety of people from all backgrounds and ethnicities. The journey started when I was Mr. Florida 2017; I went on a service tour and completed 500 hours of community service in conjunction with my nonprofit, Ties for Change, which made donations to other nonprofits during the tour.”

Richardson is also trying to use his influence for some current and very serious unfortunate events that have been brought to light a lot more often nowadays. “I’m an activist for women’s equality, and due to the current events taking place in the work field, whether it’s entertainment or blue-collar office jobs, I feel we need to bring that more to the forefront of our social/economic conversation. I don’t feel the 19th Amendment was enough. We need to pay more attention and acknowledge the professional, technological and innovative strides women in this country are making. We also need to protect them and provide a safe space for them to also flourish and blossom, without having to worry about being sexually mistreated in their own work environment.”

Timothy Richardson is proof that you can indeed make an impact in and out of high school and that, once you succeed, you can continue to grow and find success even more often. He is the epitome of dealing with life’s battles that continue to knock you down, but all it takes is that bit of courage and strength to stand up again and open new doors.