Mr. Jeff Silengo (Photo: Jesper Peltonen ’17)
What is your job here at Northwood?
Head coach of the boys prep hockey team and in the mornings I work at admissions and also I am the strength and conditioning coach of all three boys hockey teams throughout the year.
What brought you to Northwood?
I would say the environment and the coaching aspect for hockey. It was kind of a no brainer when I was looking at different school to choose Northwood, between the mountains the rivers the town and just coming here to see it first-hand and meeting the people…those four characteristics, would beat out every school I would say.
What made you pick your career?
I always wanted to work at a boarding school. I went to boarding schools as a junior and senior, and those were the best years of my life, so I always wanted to get back into that environment when I was done playing. It was a win-win for me because I get to coach and be on the ice every day and help young players like I was helped.
What did you do before working at Northwood?
I played professional hockey in the ECHL for two years after college. I went University of New Hampshire. I studied there and majored in kinesiology and played hockey there.
What are your first impressions of Northwood?
Definitely positive. I have been here total probably three weeks and I learned from everybody on this campus so far, from the students to the faculty who have been here for 28years. I have learned different skills, ways to interact with the students that I didn’t know about while I was at boarding school…
What do you think Northwood is going to bring you?
I think it’s gonna bring a lot of satisfaction knowing that I am helping students that were in my position and watching their growth from freshman year to senior year. That will bring me the most satisfaction, watching the growth watching kids grow over time academically and athletically.
Before you started working here did you have any connections at Northwood?
I have been in touch with Chadd Cassidy before I got this job, and we have kind of been keeping in touch through our last season, but before that I had no connections. The farthest back would be when I was a junior in high school and we had a game, up here at the Olympic center, that was the first time I had been to Lake Placid. It was pretty cool to come up here and play Northwood in high school.
How is Northwood different or similar from your high school?
So I went to boarding school so there are a lot of similar traits, obviously. I like the area just outside of school. We are not deserted. There is a lot of outdoorsy, which I like, but there is also the town that I like, so similarities, I would say is stuff in the school with the study halls and the connections we made with faculty. That’s similar, but what’s different is the surrounding atmosphere.
How do you like Lake Placid?
I like Lake Placid a lot I have been to a couple different restaurants, couple different bars and I really like the downtown area and the people.
What are your favorite memories at school so far?
My favorite memories probably the fair day, that was pretty fun. I have never done anything like that at other schools. It was nice to see everybody having fun before school started.
Tell us something most people here don’t know about you.
I like to cook and play some music in my free time.
What did you do this summer?
I was looking for a job. It was the first summer I didn’t have to worry about my hockey season. I coached some hockey camps and some practices, but mostly I was looking for a job. Fortunate enough to have found this one.
