“I came to Northwood because it’s close by, the hockey is great, and one of my cousins came before me. I knew there was a tight-knit community here, and it was a much better option than going to play anywhere where I had to do online school.

“Over the past year and a half, I have enjoyed every second of my time at Northwood. I have made a lot of lifelong friends and had some great memories. The schoolwork has been challenging, but I enjoy it because it gives me a challenge to face every day. The great thing about Northwood is I have enough time to finish my work, so I never have too much trouble.

“My favorite memory at Northwood so far is going in an airplane for my ADK class. We flew over Lake Placid in a tiny airplane and it was breathtaking to see the land that we live on. I also got to go up with two of my buddies, adding to the coolness.

“After Northwood, I want to continue playing hockey, most likely at the junior level, with the goal of playing college hockey.

“If I could change anything about Northwood, it would probably be the study hall hours. Study hall is helpful, but it stinks because I have been in it my whole time at Northwood. I’m excited about senior privileges this year because they will exempt me from study hall.”

As told to Pete Moore ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I found out about Northwood from an alum who had an excellent experience a couple of years ago, and it made me want to check the school out. I toured the school last fall and loved the campus and the area where the school is located. I loved that our home rink would be the Olympic Center, and it seemed nice to get a change of pace from living in Minnesota. The coaches were great to me when I visited, which made it ideal.

“My year has been great so far. It’s a big change after living at home my whole life, and now I am a boarding student. But the school and the hockey have both been going well, and there is no other place I’d rather be.

“My favorite memory at Northwood thus far is our first weekend in Rochester. Going on the first road trip with the team was monumental, and winning Bishop Kearney’s tournament against them in the finals.

“After Northwood, I plan to continue playing hockey, hopefully at the Division III college hockey. I don’t know where, but I want to continue playing at a high level.

“If I could change anything about Northwood, I wish dinner would be a little later. I never usually eat dinner at 5:30, and eating so early was a change of pace. This is a tough question to answer though, because I love everything about Northwood.”

As told to Pete Moore ‘25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I came to Northwood in 2021 during the COVID-19 Pandemic when I was unsure of when I could return to in-person school. I had just done over a year and a half of fully remote learning from a house in the mountains, with minimal in-person contact with the outside world. At the time, boarding school seemed like the only way I could have normal interactions with peers and re-join society in a sense. I also had a relative here- David Garvey. He was a senior on the Head’s Council and my RA on Third East the year I came, and he helped me a lot with adjusting to life away from home.

“My experience here has been incredible- everything I could have asked for and then some. During the Pandemic, I left New York City and lost touch with almost everyone I knew when I lived there. The Northwood community has been like family to me throughout all four years. Over those four years, Northwood has also allowed me to find purpose. I started doing play-by-play broadcasting for the Prep team during my freshman year. Over the course of my four years here, I’ve watched as my work gradually became more of an expectation rather than a pleasant surprise- and found a productive role within this community. In addition, the school’s location in the Adirondacks has introduced me to things like rock climbing and backcountry skiing, both of which I would’ve never done if I was still in New York. Finally, Northwood has given me the opportunity to travel the world. Through the LEAP program, I’ve rock-climbed in Nevada, gone backcountry skiing in Utah, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and traveled to Vietnam, Iceland, and Japan. These have truly been the best 4 years of my life.

“My favorite memory of Northwood is probably the community we built on Second East last year. In my four years here, that’s probably the closest a dorm hall has ever been, and every night, I would get back from quiet hours looking forward to throwing a football or hockey game on or catching up with everyone in the lounge. In particular, I miss Ritter and Jack Kent getting into it with each other every night and drawing everyone else in.

“Honestly, I’m still trying to figure it out in terms of my future. The first order of business is figuring out where I’m going to college- I hear back from Middlebury soon for my ED2 application. If that doesn’t work, it’s a tossup between several other schools I hope to receive admission letters from. After that, I’m still undecided. I’ve thought about pursuing a career on Wall Street similar to my dad or leaning into my play-by-play gig and pursuing that. My guess is I’ll pursue a bit of both for as long as I can before I’m forced to pick a lane, but I’m keeping my options open.

“I’m not sure what I’d do without this place. I’ve called Northwood home for 4 years now, and there are so many unique and meaningful things I’ve done here that I lose count. I love the people and community here, the options available to me here, and the lasting memories I’ve gained from going here. At this point, I only care about enjoying these last few months and trying to do as much as possible before it’s all over. I’m gonna miss this place… This is home for me.”

As told to Pete Moore ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I first found out about Northwood when one of the older kids in my hockey organization went there. I actually started looking into it during my sophomore year when my coaches wanted us to look at prep schools. While doing my research on schools with good hockey and education that are not too far from home, Northwood came up.

“I think this first semester of my second year has been great. Although there are a lot of new people this year, the community is great and very close-knit. I think something memorable has been walking into town with my friends, whether it be big groups or just a few people.

“My favorite memory over my first year and a half at Northwood has to be the long bus rides with the team. While it can be boring at times, I think it is a great opportunity for bonding with the whole team.

“Right now, I am not sure what I want to do after I graduate from Northwood. I am applying to a few colleges, but I am also looking into junior hockey. Either way, I plan on playing hockey at some level next year.

“One thing I would change is for the cafeteria to offer more fresh fruit options around meals.  I think it would be better for the school and our health.”

As told to Pete Moore ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I came to Northwood for the ski program and the culture, and because I already had friends who attended, I wanted to go to school with them and be around them all the time. Before coming to Northwood, I did the Winter Term program at Whiteface, which is where you ski for NYSEF and do online school during the winter. This led me to want to come to Northwood.

“Northwood has made me more mature and confident in myself and my abilities. Throughout the three years I’ve been here, I have learned a lot about myself and the people around me, and that is something that I have cherished. Northwood has improved my academic and athletic ability.

“I don’t have a specific Northwood memory, but every time I hang out with my friends, it is a memory that I cherish. Every weekend of races, team trips, or Northwood events, I make sure to relish every moment because I know the fun times won’t last forever.

“After Northwood, I want to take a gap year to ski or go to college to ski. I don’t know my plan, but I know my future has skiing in it.

“One piece of advice I would give to an incoming Northwood student is to branch out and talk to people outside of your cohort. Just because you are on a team with someone, doesn’t mean you have to spend all your time with them. Everyone at Northwood has a different story, and sometimes it’s fun to learn more about other people.”

As told to Pete Moore ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.