Paye in his final year at Northwood. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.
At the end of the 24-25 school year, everyone was sad to see Lohkoah Paye ‘25 depart from Northwood. In his four years at school, he had become a role model both on and off the field, earning honors such as team captain for soccer, Head’s Council, and President of the Multicultural Club, among other recognitions. This weekend, I had the privilege of catching up with him and speaking about everything from Soccer to social life to everyday life in the Big Apple.
After Northwood, Koah had already decided to take his talents downstate to St. John’s University, a Division I soccer program in New York City with one of the richest histories in U.S. college Soccer. “These first 3 months at St. John’s have been great,” Paye said. “I’ve just been adjusting to collegiate life and everything that comes with it. Obviously, due to my ACL injury from my time at Northwood, I’m not yet fully back to playing, but the staff here has been amazing with the rehab and training, helping me get back up to speed on my own,” he added.
Paye at St. John’s University. Photo: St. John’s University Athletics.
Paye also enjoys his teammates. “The team has been great as well, you know, despite my injury and not being able to train with them, they have still really welcomed me into the family, and we are always together doing something,” Paye said. “So yeah, my St. John’s experience has been everything I expected, but definitely way different from Northwood.”
Transitioning from Northwood, a rural school with around 190 students, to St. John’s, in the heart of New York City, with a student population of 22,000, is always going to be difficult. Still, Paye has made the transition seamlessly, unlike many who would struggle with it. “I think the difference between college and Northwood is the community that it fosters,” Paye said. “You know, at Northwood, you know everyone by name, and you’re always with the same people. Here, aside from my teammates, I’d be surprised if I recognized anyone or knew them by name. It’s definitely been an adjustment, and to be honest, I don’t mind the population, but I definitely miss that community aspect of Northwood,” he added.
In the classroom, Paye has been doing well, especially in the statistics course he is taking, for which he thanks Mr. Emery for preparing him. When asked about the change in course load from high school, he didn’t have much to say; in fact, he said Northwood had prepared him well for college. “The work [in college] definitely isn’t harder, it just sometimes these teachers assign way more homework, but as long as you manage your time well and study hard, you will be fine, just like at Northwood,” Paye said. This was reassuring to hear, as I’ve heard many horror stories from different alumni about the college workload. However, it sounds like Northwood sets you up well for the experience.
On the field, Paye will aim to make his return to the team in the spring season, around April. While it will have been a long and arduous journey back from injury, all those who know Koah know that he will return better than ever and put the whole U.S on notice for what is to come next fall. After being such an impactful member of the community on campus, it is safe to say everyone from Northwood will be watching Koah and cheering him on upon his return, eager to see what he does next in his career.
