“I am from Guayaquil, Ecuador. I am a Senior and have been at Northwood since my Freshman year. I chose Northwood because it gives me all the opportunities I want to become whatever I want to become. It has a great soccer program has sent many players to great colleges. One of the things I like the most is the community. All the teachers are there for me when I need them, and the same goes for the students, who are amazing people.  

“In my free time, I like to play the piano. I started to learn how to play the piano a year ago in the living room. If you have been with me since freshman year, you have probably seen my progress. I love dancing. I like to dance to all types of music. If you see me, I will probably be dancing.  

“At college, I want to keep playing soccer while getting a degree, and hopefully, if things go well, I can get drafted into the MLS.  

“After four years at Northwood, what I am going to miss the most is going on trips with the soccer team and the bonfires at the pavilion. I am thankful for the opportunity to study at Northwood, and I will always remember Northwood as a great place.”

As told to Ahmed Elganainy ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge 

“I have lived in three different countries. I was born in Melbourne, Australia and was only one year old when my family moved to Hong Kong. I spent 10 years in Hong Kong, which was an amazing experience. I moved back to Australia when I was 11. The diversity of Hong Kong allowed me to meet people from all over the world and learn about their culture. I also lived in an apartment, forcing me to become close with my siblings. I have one younger brother and one older sister who both play soccer. I am close with both and have grown up relying on them for entertainment. My brother and I are very competitive and have compared goals scored, grades, etc., since a young age. He has pushed me to be better on and off the field.“Off the pitch, I love to spend time with friends and family, listen to music, and watch different sports. When I’m back in Australia, I love watching Australian Rules Football. I grew up playing Aussie rules and sometimes wish I continued playing it. My favorite food is Steak and Chips made by myself. After doing a cooking LEAP last year, I am confident I can make a great steak.

“My favorite place to go on vacation is Bali, Indonesia. I have Indonesian grandparents, so I have visited Indonesia a lot since a young age. I love surfing against my brother, constantly competing over who can catch the bigger wave. I also love the cheap food and nice weather.

“I came to Northwood as a freshman two and a half years ago to hopefully use my soccer to help my family pay for university. I was nervous when I first came. It was a big leap from spending so much time with my family growing up to being halfway across the world from them. I faced a lot of adversity being homesick when I first came, but I quickly overcame that and have loved my experience ever since.

“Reflecting on my Northwood life, I realized how much the school has changed me. As a player, I went from a defender to an attacker, and as a person, I have learned a lot more about community, leadership, and culture. I will miss Northwood, but I am looking forward to the future.

“Next year, I will study finance and play soccer at Georgetown University. I am forever grateful that Northwood and Black Rock have allowed me this opportunity. I still have one month to go, so I will enjoy these last moments and prepare for my future.”

As told to Machai David ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I grew up in Malone, which is about an hour away, with my mom, dad, older brother, and younger sister.

“Having my sister as a roommate is different; even though we’re only two years apart, it is the first time we have gone to high school together, and I’ve enjoyed it so far, especially when we are not fighting.

“I love going to concerts. My favorite concert I’ve been to was Morgan Wallen two summers ago. I went with my brother, best friend, and her brother. We walked to the concert and returned to the hotel, which was quite easy. I also love to travel; someday, I would love to go to Bora Bora.

“I have gone to Florida every year because we have a house down there. I grew up going there with my extended family, and it has been so much fun over the years. It is cool to see how when I was younger, my cousins were teenagers, and now, they are grown up with kids.

“Something you may notice about me is that I am shy, but once you get to know me, I am always talking.

“The people at Northwood made my experience so great. Every time we all walk into town, I always have a fun time and there are many laughs that come out.

“If I were to give anyone a piece of advice it would be not to take things so seriously.”

As told to Halle Hules ‘24. Photo provided.

“When I was 13 years old, I volunteered at the Entebbe Zoo in Uganda as a junior zookeeper for a week. I would go every day for seven days. My dad would drop me off in the morning for the zoo rounds meetings, where all the zoo staff members met for a morning briefing, and then I would be assigned which animals I would work with that day. I worked with lions, snakes, crocodiles, giraffes etc. I would take photos of my experiences, and at the end of each day, I would write in my journal about how the day went. I learned a lot from my fellow zookeepers, and it was an experience that got me out of my comfort zone.

“I wrote a book about my experience being a junior zookeeper for a week at the Entebbe Zoo (UWEC) in Uganda. The thing that inspired me to write my book was the fact that my former librarian, Mrs. Cathy Kreutter, who is also an author of many books, looked at the article I wrote about being a junior zookeeper at the Entebbe Zoo and thought that it could have a greater potential of turning into a book. She talked to my parents about the idea of publishing the book and following a discussion with my parents, my parents and I agreed to turn the article into a complete book.

“The book took about two and a half years to write. I worked with photographers called Yusuf and Makune Marcellino, a mentor who is also an author called Mrs. Cathy Kreutter, my parents called Mr. Laerence Zikusoka and Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. We edited the text, retook many photos, and designed the layout, cover, and theme. The printing was done at New Vision in Uganda. I first printed 1,000 copies, and my grandmother, Mrs. Rhoda Kalema, sponsored printing some of the first copies.

“My favorite part was when I was going to feed the elephants with other zookeepers on a truck, throwing huge pumpkins to the elephant. The elephant with its big leg squashed the pumpkin, making it flat and mushy. The sound it made when squashing the pumpkin was unheard of as if it was squashing brains.

“Finally, the book was launched in 2021, and around 30 people attended the meeting due to COVID restrictions and space. Others attended one-on-one, like my school principal, Mr. Oscar Musoke. Being able to write and speak to many about my zookeeping experience left an unforgettable memory that would have a long-lasting effect for the years to come.”

As told to Li Feng ’24. Photo by Mr. John Spear.

“You would be surprised, but I love the snow. Of course, I get tired of walking and it is too cold sometimes. But, coming from a warm weather country, living in the heat my whole life, I was tired of it. Coming to the snow and feeling the cold is like a relief for me. Of course, I love wearing shorts and sandals, but I also like the snow, having a jacket, all that stuff.

“I’ve been living here up in New York for the last three years, since 2021. I did my sophomore, junior, and half of my senior year in Western New York at IHC. I was there until there was an accident. Not really an accident, but basically, we ran out of funds. We didn’t have enough money to keep the program going, so it was closed.

“I chose to come to Northwood because I already knew the coach and some people here. So, I knew it would be a good place for me. Second, it was the best option for me if I wanted to continue my academic and soccer career.

“Once the accident happened at IHC, we had three options. One is that we could stay there but without soccer. Second, we could go back to our countries, but that was basically saying goodbye to any chance of playing in college. The other option was to transfer.”

“My life here is very different from when I was in Ecuador. When I’m here, I revolve around soccer and my studies. It’s just all practice, studies, and a little free time. But even in your free time, you still think about practice or some games on the weekend. Then, when I’m home, I can relax more since I do not have classes. I try to practice for 2 hours a day, a few days a week. But that’s not the most important thing for me. The most important things for me when I’m home are my family and my friends, my grandparents, my siblings. Going to the beach or my friend’s house, I’m more relaxed.

“A piece of advice I’d give to a new kid coming to Northwood would be don’t be afraid of talking to new people. People here are very nice, so don’t be afraid of talking to new people.”

As told to Gavin Kruger ’26. Photo provided.

“This is my first year at Northwood. I am a senior here and on the boy’s Prep hockey team. I am from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I live about 45 minutes from the Rocky Mountains, so I like to go fishing, hiking, and riding my bike. After Northwood, I want to study business in college, and my end goal is to be a business owner.

“A fun fact about me is that my thumbs are double-jointed and can pop out of the socket.

“I like to go to town here and see the views. Mountain Day was fun and hiking Hurricane was outstanding. I haven’t skied here yet, but I would like to try. Some of my closest friends here are Cedric, Anderson, and Owen.

“At home, I have one brother. Me and my brother went ATVing in the mountains, and one of the ATVs had an engine break down and the other ATV’s brakes stopped working. We tied them together with a rope, and the one with the engine (but no breaks) was in front, pulling the one with no engine. The slope was very steep, so it was pretty sketchy.”

As told to Yosef Spear ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“My whole family’s been around hockey. My dad played at Illinois. Both my cousins play college hockey right now, as well. One of my cousins plays at Harvard, and the other at Middlebury. So yeah, that’s how I got into playing hockey: it runs in my family.

“I’ve played a lot of sports (other than hockey). I played basketball and soccer, and I ran cross-country and track. I played basketball for my varsity basketball team, and I also ran track and cross country for my Varsity team. I’ve always kind of just been the best at hockey.

“I found out about Northwood because my uncle knows Coach Miller really well. He and Coach Miller played in a hockey tournament once. But also, my aunt has known Coach Miller through I don’t even know what. But they’ve known each other for a while. Yeah, so my uncle kind of got me introduced to Coach Miller. Then I visited and fell in love.

“Away weekends are my best memories. It’s always the most fun to travel with the team. If I had to pick a favorite home weekend from this year, I’d probably say the Northwood Invitational. That was fun.

“I got to meet Pavel Datsyuk. That’s a cool person I’ve met. Before he left the Red Wings, I went to a camp at my local rink that was run by him. So, I got to be around him for a week and get to know him. I also got to meet Matty Beniers, the captain of the Seattle Kraken. My cousins are family friends with them, and through my cousins, I’ve gotten to meet him.

“A piece of advice I’d give is to just go into it with all the confidence in the world. Like yeah, you’re here for a reason. Make the most of it and try to stay confident.”

As told to Gavin Kruger ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I am from Ontario, Canada. This is my first year at Northwood, and the school has become my home away from home. I love it here.

“I came to Northwood to play hockey. I am on the Prep team. We have had a good season and are about to hit the 40-win mark. My season has been great. It has been my best year by far. I enjoy playing with the team and having an enjoyable time with my teammates.

“I thought coming to Northwood and being away from home would be weird, but the transition was great. There are a couple of guys from Canada, so it felt like back home.

“My favorite moment at Northwood was winning the True Prep Cup in New Hampshire. I played my best in that tournament.”

As told to Machai Davis ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.