Jesse Schoch

Humans of Northwood: Abigail Van Dorn ‘25

February 11, 2025 by Jesse Schoch

“I have been flying for four years and have soloed a couple of times. Currently I am working on trying to get my private pilot’s license for my Peak Pathway. I am thinking about doing aviation as a possible career and maybe joining the AirForce someday.

“I have been lucky to grow up in Lake Placid my whole life. Prior to attending Northwood, I went to North Country School for six years before coming here in tenth grade. I also had several friends who were coming to Northwood that same year, which made it easier to attend a new school. I came to Northwood because it gave me the opportunity to take my skiing to the next level without having to compromise my academics.

“At Northwood I have participated in Nordic Skiing/Biathlon as well as Crew. I would say that I most enjoy Skiing and Biathlon, as that is the sport I came to Northwood for, but I have really loved learning how to row over the past three years. Crew is a pretty challenging sport, and it was fun for me to learn how to do something new. I also really enjoyed the teamwork it taught me, especially rowing in a quad with three other girls.

“As of right now, I am not exactly sure what my plans are for after high school, but I know that I want to keep skiing at an elite level, whether that is during a gap year or at college.”

As told to Jesse Schoch ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Natalie Gaeckle ‘25

January 18, 2025 by Jesse Schoch

“I’ve always been so fascinated with outer space and planets and stars since I was young. I also love architecture because of all the places I’ve visited. I love the places where classical architecture captures the beauty of the time period. I really want to bring beauty back into buildings.

“I’m from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, about an hour’s train ride from the city. I wanted to come to Northwood mainly to be able to pursue skiing more without the constraints of a typical public school curriculum. I wanted to be able to ski every day in the winter while balancing schoolwork with it. It was my dream to get into a school that values sports and the outdoors as much as Northwood as well, which compelled me to come.

“In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends and listening to music. I’m super into photography, even though I don’t have a professional camera. Anything I see on a walk that I take every day could look slightly different and I’d want to take a picture and capture the beauty of it. I’m constantly trying to get the perfect picture on trips I go on to capture the experience’s true feeling. I have 44 thousand pictures on my phone, obviously not all of nature and places I’ve been to, but most are, and I think that’s pretty crazy.
“As for sports, I would love to keep skiing and horseback riding in college. If I could practice more and maybe get on an actual team later in college, that would be amazing because I know some schools have good pipelines from the club to the actual team. Overall, though, I’d like to just pursue these sports casually and enjoy them as much as I can, and maybe I could look into other things with that, like rock climbing and hiking.”

As told to Jesse Schoch ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Multicultural Students Club Elects Leadership

November 13, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

Tuesday, November 5th, was an important day for the Multicultural Student Club (MSC). Club members, both new and returning, had the opportunity to run for different positions in the club, such as event coordinators, treasurers, and spokespersons. Club President Lokoah Paye ‘25 and Vice President Sasha Luhur ‘27 helped organize and run the elections and managed the results.

Members of the Multicultural Students Club after their recent elections. Photo: Mr. Kelvin Martinez.

MSC is a club dedicated to bringing students of all ethnicities together to share the importance of diversity in the community. “Last year, I was the vice president of the club, and this year, I have become the president,” Paye said. “While I was a leader last year, I now have a much more vocal role for club meetings as well as being in charge of scheduling for the club,” Paye added. He and Luhur made leaps to higher positions this year and plan to have an eventful schedule for the club. “We’ve organized two meetings so far and held elections for our remaining leadership positions,” Luhur added. “I really like the club and the work we were doing.”

Club members who wanted to run for a position of their choosing were tasked to come up with a one-minute speech on why they thought they would be a good candidate. New club member Danna Perez ’26, who ran for Accreditation Liaison, says she improvised her speech. “I said what I thought was important for me and the club.” Whereas Gus Garvey ‘25 took a different approach. “I went through a list of my strengths in my head and structured my speech to revolve around my qualifications for the job.”

Both Perez and Garvey were elected to leadership positions. After votes were counted, the results for the 2024-2025 MSC leadership elections are as follows:

President: Lokoah Paye ‘25

Vice President: Sasha Luhur ‘27

Spokesperson: Tziyon Morris ‘25

Spokesperson: Luca Giugno ‘27

Co-Treasurer: Gus Garvey ‘25

Co-Treasurer: Jett Jewett ‘27

Leo Doyle ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Event Coordinator: Leo Doyle ‘25

Event Coordinator: James Martin ‘26

Event Coordinator: Cambrie-Elizabeth ‘27

Cultural Awareness Liason: Jenny Tran ‘25

Cultural Awareness Liason: Dominica Sarandeva ‘26

Advocacy and Policy Liaison: Alexander Darby ‘26

Accreditation Liason: William German ‘26

Accreditation Liason: Danna Perez ‘26

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Students Take Day for Testing, Wild Center Field Trip

November 5, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

A screech owl at the Wild Center. Photo by Cambrie-Elizabeth Encalade ’27.

Thursday, October 24, was Northwood School’s annual testing day. All grades were busy with different activities such as college application catch up, PSAT and SAT testing and even a trip to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. The field trip, led by Ms. Marcy Fagan, was to the Adirondack Natural History Museum, which features interactive exhibits, a wild walk, and even the opportunity to see Adirondack animals close up.

Fagan said a highlight for her was “the wildlife discussion with a live screech owl and biologist. We learned a lot about the screech owl.” Other exhibits included an otter tank, a climate watch globe map, and several outdoor trails to birdwatch and sightsee from.

Back at campus, the seniors who didn’t take the SAT had a day to finish their Common App and continue applying to colleges while the eleventh graders took the PSAT or the SAT.

Hockey coach and testing coordinator Franny Gerardi said the PSAT and SAT administration went well. “For the SAT, we had a little over 30 students test, with over 40 taking the PSAT.” She said one of the contributing factors to the day’s success was “being overly prepared in all areas; from making sure that the staff were fully prepared, to the room set up, and to being prepared with any technology issues.”

Seniors worked with their college counselors on their Common App and college essays. On that day, Director of College Counseling David McCauley said there were 13 currently committed students and “11 of them have applied but none of them have been admitted to their schools yet.” Some schools that seniors have applied to include Cornell, St. Lawrence University, Dartmouth, and Holy Cross.

As fall comes to an end, Northwood students are looking to continue making academic and athletic progress as we begin a new season in Lake Placid.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Candy Grams Raise Money for Lake Placid, FL

October 29, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

CeCe Keller ’25 sells candy grams in the dining room. Photo: Ms. Lisa Wint.

As fall rolls in the spooky season has kicked off with CARE’s annual candy grams. One of Northwoods traditions is the opportunity to buy a bag of candy for your friends. One of CARE’s members, Jenny Tran ‘25, tells me that Candy Grams is a fun tradition and a great way to express gratitude to those important in your life. She says thanking friends is an important gesture that can be overlooked daily.

The candies can also be bought anonymously, allowing students to give a friendly gesture to new peers. “It always has been a thing to celebrate Halloween. It can bring people together and be a fun way to get involved in the community,” says Tran.

Proceeds of CARE’s candy grams reach a bigger cause than just Northwood’s campus as well. Proceeds are donated to organizations such as the food pantry and breast cancer research. This year’s proceeds will go to Lake Placid, FL, after the category 3 hurricane Milton hit the state, causing devastating effects to many communities. “It’s a small action that could result in a big contribution to helping others, in this case, Lake Placid, FL,” says Tran. It’s vital that students look out for others, whether it’s in the classroom, the field, the rink, or even after school lets out.

Another way students can continue to support ongoing hurricane relief efforts is by going to https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/. Giving even a couple of dollars to people who have been affected by these disasters makes a big difference.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

NAS Paddlers Attend Chasing Water Symposium

October 29, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

Photo by Sophia Sherman ’25.

Over the past weekend Northwood Adventure Sports director Bobby O’Connor took students to the Chasing Water Symposium. This kayaking event was held in Maine and aimed to improve skills for beginners and novices alike, as well as to create a close community of outdoor enthusiasts.

“It’s a great opportunity for our paddlers to build skills and meet other professionals in the industry,” O’Connor said. It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or advanced paddler, there’s space to progress with some of the country’s best coaches,” added O’Connor.

Photo by Sophia Sherman.

One of the participating students, Sophia Sherman ’25, is an experienced paddler. “I’ve been sea kayaking for about a year now,” Sherman said. “At the symposium we sea kayaked for two days, about 5-6 hours a day and camped for three nights.” She also describes her experience sea kayaking during Northwood’s annual Learn Engage Apply Perform (LEAP) program. “I went to Wales last LEAP. The scenery and kayaking are unlike any other place. The kayaking is world-class due to the Irish ocean and the weather conditions. The UK is a really special place, I definitely want to go back.”

Nate Benjamin ’24 who also went to Chasing Waters, speaks about his experience with Kayaking. “I’ve been kayaking for 2 years. My favorite part of the trip was the kayaking through the white water.” He recommends trying it out and describes the activity to be exciting and fun to learn no matter what your skill level.

Looking ahead for the future of kayaking adventures Bobby O’Connor says, “I am planning to run a whitewater kayaking trip the first week of April break. This will most likely take place in the southern Adirondacks, Vermont, and New Hampshire.” Despite the change of weather in the Adirondacks, students suggest other fun activities to keep busy such as rock climbing, snowboarding, and ice climbing.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Humans of Northwood: JT Wint ‘25

October 15, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

“One of my favorite hobbies is road biking around town. Whenever I go out biking, I usually try to find some new roads that I haven’t been to before. This is important to me not only because I love having good navigational skills but also because I am a first responder. It’s important to be able to map places in your head within your department’s district. When I’m not biking, I simply enjoy exploring, getting to meet new people, and helping out tourists with directions.

“From a young age, I’ve always been a people person, and I have always wanted to help people. When I attended Saint Agnes school, the local fire department came for fire prevention week. During this week, fire departments visit schools all around the country and educate the public about fire safety and what to do in emergency situations. Typically, a representative from the fire department gears up in their protective equipment. After the presentation, I was instantly moved.

“I spent the next few years helping with the Lake Placid volunteer fire department. A couple years later I spoke a few times with the Chief at the time and told him I was interested in becoming a member and that’s when I learned of a junior firefighter program. There I could become a member and begin training, attend meetings, events and much more. Once I turned sixteen, I submitted my application and after a long time of waiting I was voted in by the village board! Ever since, I have enjoyed being a junior member/RAM (restricted active member) of the department.

“I have met so many people and have learned so much and just love doing it! Now it’s going to be something I do in college and then finding my home department sometime after that is the goal!”

As told to Jess Schoch ’25. Photo provided.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

With Japan Course, Garvey First Student to Create a LEAP

October 11, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

Gus Garvey ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“When I started at Northwood, I had only been to Japan three times, but those were all during the summer and were mostly for visiting my cousins,” Gus Garvey explained as he spoke about organizing a LEAP course to Japan, the first LEAP organized entirely by a student. Garvey, a four-year senior at Northwood, along with a group of students, will be traveling to Japan to ski and experience Japanese culture as a part of the school’s LEAP program. The program is typically a week-long session in length and is designed to give students opportunities to gain experience from something new.

“When I first came up with the idea, I wanted to incorporate Bobby into it.” Mr. Bobby O’Conner is the school’s Northwood Adventure Sports (or NAS, formerly known as the Northwood Outing Club, or NOC) director. “I thought I would cater more to what his role is at school, so make it more skiing more outdoorsy.” However, Garvey tells me that this trip will not just be focused on skiing. “This isn’t just an après-ski vacation; you’ve got to make it educational. I split it in half with skiing and education.”

Nagano, Japan is called a “powder paradise.” Photo: http://www.go-nagano.net.

As Garvey tells me about how he intended to incorporate skiing as one of the main activities for the trip, he mentions a crucial factor, which was choosing what time of year to take the trip. He explains his two previous options for the time of departure, April and at the end of May. “April is when all the cherry blossoms are out, and all the schools are out too. It’s crowded and expensive. When you have a large group of students who don’t speak that language, there is a bigger chance of losing somebody in a very crowded city. The thing about May is that in Japan, there’s a rainy season from mid-May to mid-June. In Japan, all of the cultural stuff is generally outdoors. If it were constantly raining that would be miserable.”

Garvey has overcome barriers and continues his way on creating this trip. “Challenge number one was finding people to chaperone the trip. Challenge two was making the itinerary work. I anticipated seven people; instead, we had sixteen express interest.” This created a benefit financially. “That’s more of a cushion in case something goes wrong,” Garvey explained.

Garvey is currently working on raising money for students who need financial aid and overcoming language barriers. “Coordinating for a group of twenty as the only person that can speak the native language is going to be a challenge, but I think it’s doable,” he said.

Garvey continues to put forth a tremendous amount of time and effort into planning his trip. Not only has he worked to create a trip meaningful to his culture, but more importantly, he strives to create an incredible opportunity for his peers.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Top Story

“Husky Health” Promotes Wellness

October 3, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

As a school full of many student-athletes, physical and mental health play a crucial role in everyday life. This year, a new newsletter, Husky Health, can be found around campus in classrooms, bathrooms, and even dorm halls. But what is Husky Health, and why should students care?

Ms. Tara Wright is one of the newsletter’s editors and the School Psychologist. “Husky Health is a student-centered newsletter that provides vital information and resources for physical and mental health.” She speaks about the newsletter’s contents, which contain various tips and strategies to provide the school’s athletes with the best well-being. Wright describes her partnership with the school’s Nurse and Athletic Trainer to engage all athletes, whether on the ice, on the Turf, or in the Fitness center. She told me the newsletter would be updated to suit the year’s conditions better. “Future editions will include nutrition, sports psychology, athletic injury prevention, healthy habits for illness prevention, mindfulness and emotional well-being.”

Why should athletes give their attention to the newsletter? “We are asking students to submit topics for us to cover,” says Wright. “The goal is to provide an additional way for students to learn about interesting health topics. We would like to see this expand to include lots of student topic suggestions.” Hockey player Cash Lawrence ‘25 suggests elaborating on the importance of washing hands. “Washing hands is especially vital during allergenic seasons such as spring and fall,” Lawrence said.

As the school year’s first month ends, we hope to see more updates about how Northwood athletes can continue to improve their psychological and physical health.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Student Council Elections Slated for September 24

September 24, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

New nominees for the ninth, tenth, and eleventh-grade councils will be chosen as the new year kicks off. Council members must show leadership and collaboration skills to take on various responsibilities including planning school events and advocating for their peers. They will also need to help Northwood live up to its 2024-2025 theme “Balance.”

Returning student, tenth-grade council member Sasha Luhur ‘27 spoke highly about being a part of her grade’s council. “I was elected to 9th-grade student council last year along with two other classmates,” Luhur said. “The process is pretty straightforward–anyone can get up and pitch to the rest of their class about why they would be a good representative for the grade.” She also described major events she helped plan from the annual Valentine’s dance to school orientation activities.

Sasha Luhur ’27. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

As exciting as being a leader may be, it sometimes proves to be a daunting responsibility. Part of planning events may include weekly meetings, creative thinking, and problem-solving. Luhur says, “It’s much easier to brainstorm fun ideas for our peers than to make them a reality and run smoothly.” She told me that despite the current council making increases to the number of community events, she predicts that they may still face issues of “perfecting logistics” and gaining a unanimous vote.

Luhur’s closing remarks underlined her enjoyment of being a part of Northwood’s tenth-grade council. “It’s great being able to make fun things happen instead of just saying to my friends, “It would be so cool if we had this.” She encourages anyone who wants to make Northwood a welcoming academic and social environment to join the student council. “For anyone who has ideas to create change at both the grade and whole-school level, student council is the best way to realize them.”

Council elections will be held on Tuesday, September 24^th.