I am one of the few “four-year survivors” at The Wood, I came to Northwood mainly for the high hockey program, but along with that came high academics and a lot of life-long relationships and friendships. Traveling not too far away from home in South Burlington, Vermont, to get the opportunity of an unforgettable experience, where the people that made it so special.

There were differences between Northwood and my previous school. My old school was a lot bigger than Northwood, about five times the size and it wasn’t a boarding school so the community wasn’t as tight-knit. I know I made the right move to attend Northwood.  The very long, cold, and dark winter is the thing I dislike about Northwood, but apart from that, it has been a special high school career and a time that I will never forget.

Spending four years of my life at Northwood, I found that when you’re at Northwood you’re schedule is so busy from school to co-curriculars to study hall and meals that you don’t get much downtime. When I’m at school I tend to miss the ability to make my own schedule and sort of relaxing at home.

Throughout my time I have created friendships and made memories that will last, but the thing I will never forget about Northwood is the last night with the boys after we were told to start packing to go home due to the pandemic. All of our brains were pretty scattered that night but it’s still one of those nights I’ll never forget. The boys are what I am going to miss the most.

– As told to Aimee Headland ‘20

With the goal of graduating from a university in the U.S after finishing my high school years at Northwood, I made the move away from home in Czech Republic. I decided to attend Northwood for many reasons: the location of the school, excellent academics, and the long hockey season.

I was able to get a whole new experience at Northwood, enjoying every moment and every aspect of it. I won’t forget it. I was able to see the difference between Northwood and my old school, the main one being that the faculty are definitely more open and friendly. The school systems are completely different, making it a whole different world. There is one similarity: the people and things I miss both when I am away. I especially miss my friends back home, but after I left Northwood I miss the friends I made there. I especially miss my art classes.

There wasn’t much I didn’t like about Northwood. It is a special place, but I would have to say the food some days wasn’t great. The girls’ hockey program had an amazing season, which I loved, even if we always had pizza for dinner after games.

– As told to Aimee Headland ‘20

Luke French ’20

I have attended four different high schools and will finish it at Northwood School, thousands of miles away from my home in Overland Park, Kansas.

I decided to come to Northwood to further my hockey career. I knew from the school’s history that it would be the best option for me during my PG year of school. Coach Cassidy has proven over and over that he is able to move players to the next level and get them the best opportunities possible to set them up for future success. Now, although I know that Northwood was the right decision for me, I do miss my parents and dog the most. I wish I could see them each day and eat my mom’s cooking every night.

Northwood is a very different type of school compared to my old one. The major differences are that at my old school there were about 1,200 people compared to just under the two hundred students at Northwood.

My year at Northwood has been one I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I never thought at the beginning of the year that I would meet some of my best friends and create so many more friendships. As the year went on, I realized how fun prep school was and I wish that I came earlier in my high school career and was able to be at Northwood for more than one year. Many things related to Northwood make it special, but for me getting the chance to make friendships and bonds with other students, especially my hockey brothers are something I will never forget. This year we had one of the best teams I have been a part of, and I am honored to call them family for life.

There are very few things I dislike about Northwood, but I don’t like how long it stays cold and snows all the time. At first it’s nice but then after a while it gets kind of old. Despite that, I am very happy with my decisions to attend Northwood.

After Northwood, I want to pursue my hockey career as far as I can. Next year I plan to play for the Boston Junior Bruins and then after playing there, I will decide where I want to attend college.

– As told to Aimee Headland ‘20

Underwear is not designed to be worn as a hat, but one day during my preschool years I thought differently. I was upset and decided to take my underwear off and put them on my head like a hat for the rest of the day. My name is Daniel Colabufo, and I’m senior from Camillus, New York.

For me, I liked pretty much everything about Northwood, although study hall could sometimes be a grind. I see why it’s necessary, though. Apart from that, I loved every moment of the past three years. My experience has been great. I’ve had the ability to grow my game on the ice, and I have also have had the opportunity to meet so many new people and build friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime. The memories and experiences Northwood has given me are unforgettable, from lessons learned from Coach Cassidy and my teachers, especially Reno, to being a part of the team that made school history by winning the First State Championships.

Deciding to attend Northwood was a tough decision for me because many factors came into play, but I wouldn’t have changed my choice because of all the positives that came with it. My decision was dependent on the hockey program and the academics. I felt I would develop the most on the ice and in the classroom if I chose Northwood. Also, I could see myself at Northwood before I enrolled, it checked all the boxes I was looking for.  However, leaving my family and friends behind was one of the toughest parts for my family and me. I do miss them the most, but fortunately, I am very lucky because my parents usually take the trip to come and watch me play most weekends which is very nice because I get to see them more than many of my teammates.

West Genesee High School, my old high school which I very much enjoyed, and Northwood are two different schools. The major difference between Northwood and West Genesee High School is the class size. Because the class size is so much smaller and most teachers even live on campus at Northwood you tend to develop more meaningful relationships with your teachers.  Overall, you spend more time with your teachers and classmates.

All of the memories and experiences made during my years at Northwood are moments that will carry with me through my life after I graduate. I am going to be playing a year of Junior hockey in the AJHL for the Bonnyville Pontiacs and then will be attending The College of the Holy Cross to play college hockey.

– As told to Aimee Headland ‘20

The only thing I dislike about Northwood is the food. But other than that, Northwood has given me friendship bonds that I’ll never forget and experiences that will last. I’ve loved all of my three years at Northwood. It’s been my home away from my home in Webster, New York.

Before Northwood, I attended a public high school, so the biggest difference between that school and Northwood was definitely the boarding aspect. At Northwood, I got to live with the boys and become close with my team. Another important difference was the sports programs. Northwood has given me opportunities in hockey that I could never have received before.

Although I missed my family and my family missed me, choosing Northwood was easy. Northwood offered me not only all the educational opportunities but also great high-level hockey. There were a lot of new guys that joined the program this year. But we quickly became close and made it into a pretty special year. The boys are something I’m going to miss the most.

Once I graduate, I’d like to play college hockey.

– As told to Aimee Headland

In England, ice hockey is not what comes to mind when people think of “hockey.” Field hockey is. Although I did play field hockey for South Yorkshire, ice hockey has always been my main focus. That’s why my family and I made the decision for me to leave home in Doncaster, England to attend Northwood.

Coming to Northwood came with massive sacrifices. The biggest one was leaving behind my brother, Daniel, and the rest of my family. But I believed that Northwood would give me the best opportunity to further my hockey career at an American University.

My experience in America so far has been one I will never forget. I have really enjoyed meeting new people from all over the world, especially my roommate from Mexico, and learning about their different cultures and backgrounds. Of course, it was very difficult to leave home, but I always look forward to the time I get to see my family.

Northwood is completely different from my old high school because hockey wasn’t a part of my everyday life like it is at Northwood. Back home, I had to play other sports that I wasn’t really interested in. At Northwood, I’m able to really focus on hockey in such a beautiful location. One thing I don’t like about Lake Placid, though, is that bus rides for games seem to be a minimum of four hours. But I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’m given here. I’m excited to see where my path takes me.

– As told to Aimee Headland ’20

My strong English accent makes it hard for many people at Northwood to understand me. But I don’t regret that I moved away from my family and my home town of Bolton, England two years ago to attend Northwood. Throughout my time here, my experience has been better than I could’ve ever imagined. Northwood has given me the best opportunity to play football and get an enhanced education. No matter what happens, I’m certain that I want to stay in America because I want to continue pursuing my football career at an American university.

Unfortunately, with positives, there always come some negatives. But there are only a couple of negatives for me. The food offered at Northwood is something I don’t like. I miss English food. I’ve also never been able to adjust to the weather. It’s drastically different from back home. The one thing I miss the most about home is the English banter because I can’t get it with my friends here in America.

There are a lot of differences between Northwood and my old school. One of the main ones is that my old school was a local public high school and Northwood is a private school. I find education at Northwood more difficult and challenging. Another obvious difference is that Northwood is a boarding school. With that comes a whole different style of living and learning, but I couldn’t be happier with the change.

Living away from home is hard. But it’s given me the opportunity to make many memories and unforgettable times with my teammates. My life at Northwood has been unbelievable so far. The relationships I made here will stay with me forever.

– As told to Aimee Headland ’20