Seniors Reflect on Their Northwood Experience

As we enter the final months of the school year, several seniors are cherishing their final moments as Northwood students. Soon, they will have their last formal dinner, play their last game, and have their last classes. To some students, Northwood has been their life for the past four years. They have lived and breathed Northwood and Lake Placid culture. It’s important that the students following these seniors learn from their experiences.

Nicolas Cedeno ‘24, a 4-year senior at Northwood on the soccer team. Nico came as a ninth grader from Ecuador, hoping to excel in his academic and athletic career. His growth at Northwood has been inspirational. He has faced many difficulties but has always fought through the tough times. When reflecting on his Northwood experience, Nico said, “What I have liked the most is the people here, I have been here for four years, and I still talk to people from ninth grade year. I enjoy getting to know people worldwide and would not be able to do that without Northwood. What I regret the most is that I waited four years to go skiing. I love it. Northwood has helped me in so many ways that I can’t mention just one, but if I had to say one, it would be that it helped me mature. My advice to underclass students is to take advantage of every opportunity that Northwood gives you and that every decision you make impacts your future, so make the right decisions.” Nico has embraced Northwood as his second family and is grateful for his experience.

Maegan Byrne ‘24 is a 3-year senior on the ski team. Maegan is relatively local, so the move to Northwood was a lot easier for her than for Nico. Growing up, she often spent time in Lake Placid with her parents and siblings. Her experience was different from Nico’s. Maegan expressed, “I regret not trying more things and breaking out of my shell more. Many people don’t know this, but I have social anxiety. Being at Northwood and being a part of the community has allowed me to come out of my shell and be in a social setting without getting nervous. I enjoyed my friends the most at Northwood. I’ve met some of the best people here and made the best memories with them. I would advise younger students to try many things. I wish I could’ve tried some of those NOC adventures or done a cool LEAP. I felt like I spent much of my free time in bed, which I regret. I will miss Northwood a lot next year, but I am excited to spend these last few months with my friends.” Maegan is going to Elon University next year and is looking forward to a change. The Northwood community will miss her and wishes her the best of luck.

Halle Mules ’24 is the Girls’ Hockey team captain who arrived for tenth grade. The end of the hockey season was the most emotional for her. “When I think about retiring as a Northwood Husky, it brings up a lot of emotions. Realizing that I will have to say goodbye to the place I’ve called home for the past three years is hard. Throughout my time here, I have had many ups and downs. Northwood has taught me so much – not just in the classroom but life lessons. Maybe my fondest memory is from my sophomore year when we all had a dance circle before our championship game. I just remember us being all nervous until Kami O’Brien started dancing and bringing people in who continued dancing. It relieved a lot of stress and nerves, and winning that game made it much better. It is something I will never forget.”

Wyatt Wardlaw is a “4-year survivor” from Lake Placid. “Thinking about how I will graduate within a few months doesn’t feel real. I have attended the past three graduations since I have been at Northwood for four years. I was sitting and watching as my friends got their diplomas. Now it’s my turn. I am excited to take these steps into a new chapter of my life, but it’s also nerve-racking. I will miss the Northwood community and the relationships I have built here, which have been like a second family to me. I am grateful for all the experiences Northwood has offered me. I will miss Northwood and cherish all the great memories I have made while being here.”

Nori Fitzsimmons ’24 is another “4-year survivor” from Lake Placid. She’s ready to move on to the next stage of her life, but she’s ambivalent. “I will no longer be a Northwood Husky in just a few weeks. It is bittersweet. I am ready to move on to the next part of my life. I will always be grateful for what Northwood has offered me and the experiences I have had. But thinking about leaving my friends and the little family I have made here certainly brings a lot of sad emotions. These last few weeks, I plan on spending every moment with my friends, enjoying each other’s company before we go our separate ways. I’m looking forward to college and what lies ahead for me. Northwood will always have a special place in my heart.”

Victor Cutting ’24 arrived at Northwood in the fall as a postgraduate. The Saratoga Springs (NY) native fondly remembers his fun with the other guys in Bergamini. “One memory I’ll never forget was our snowball fight outside Berg during the first snowfall of the year. It was memorable because the whole dorm went out, and was an all-out war. People were just ripping snowballs at each other… no mercy. It was also cool because we had a lot of kids in Berg who had never seen snow before. So, it was an awesome experience for them as well. Gav got tackled, and we piled snow on top of him. The fact that it was late at night was cool, too. I’ll take it with me as a cool memory that I’ll never forget.”

Renaud Trudeau-Lalancette ’24 is a second-year senior from Montreal. His fondest memory is when a friend and teammate got some good news. “After the last practice as a team, this year, guys that weren’t coming back were getting a bit emotional. One of them – I’ll call him out – Owen Flynn, was a little teary-eyed. We got on the bus, and there were sad vibes. Just then, he opened an email telling him he had been accepted into med school at St George. He became even more emotional; we were all so happy for him. Then, he opened a second email informing him he had an awesome scholarship. He started tearing up even more, shaking, and dropping his phone. So yeah, it’s a moment I’ll never forget. I was so happy for him. Everyone was so happy for him. It was truly an incredible moment.”

Katie Demers ’24 is a four-year senior on the Girls’ Hockey team. The North Country native’s highlights of her experience include many fond memories. “Hockey-wise, I’d say beating Stanstead College last year in our league semifinals was special because we had never beaten them. School-wise, I’d say either my first Headmaster Holiday because it was so cold out, but the group of people I was with made it so much fun. Or Mountain Day when we hiked Mount Marcy in five hours.”

Sam Knauf ‘24 is in his second year at Northwood. The Lake George resident who plays on the U19 soccer team has fond memories of LEAP. “My favorite memory of Northwood has to be Golf LEAP. At this time, we had no school. It had finished. All we did that week was play golf at different courses. The best part was that I could spend the week with my friends and relax after a long soccer season. My favorite course was the Saranac Lake golf course. Because that’s where I played my best.”

Kristen Kiggen is a three-year senior from Quebec who played on the Girls’ Hockey team. She also remembers the big wins, as well as downtime with friends. “Hockey-wise, I will probably always remember winning the Northwood tournament in my junior and senior years. Outside of hockey, it would probably be walking into town with my closest friends to get dinner, ice cream, watch sunsets, or just relax.”

Avery Novia ’24 is from Connecticut and attended Northwood for two years, leaving a mark on the school’s climbing program. Her fondest memories are of downtime with her friends. She’ll remember “sitting in the dining hall after dinner with all of my friends and being unable to stop laughing at all the dumb stories and jokes.”

Pete Moore ’24 arrived in the fall of 2023 and played hockey. His highlight was the big hockey tournament in January. “Something I’ll never forget is our Northwood Hockey Tournament. Everyone came out and supported. It was awesome to see everyone coming together to support.”

These seniors made Northwood their family during their time here. They have bright futures ahead and will miss the Northwood experience. We encourage all younger students and even older students to talk to these seniors and learn from them. They have been through the same battles you are about to face, and they have overcome them. Only one month to go!

Caroline Purcell ’24 and Gavin Kruger ’26 contributed to this story.