“I was born in New York City, in the Bronx. We were living there at the time because our apartment in Manhattan was being renovated. We moved back to our apartment in Manhattan when I was a few months old, and I lived there until I was about three. I went to different preschools in the city. For a little bit, I lived with my grandparents in Massachusetts, probably for a few months, and then moved back with my parents. Then we moved to Mexico.

“In Mexico, we lived in three different houses—one in Mexico City and two in Tepoztlán Del Monte. I went to three different schools there, not because of the moves, but that’s just how it worked out. I finished kindergarten in Mexico, then moved to Massachusetts. I have a December birthday, and they had me repeat kindergarten. In Massachusetts, I lived there from age six to nine. I went to Hastings Elementary for kindergarten, first, and half of second grade, and then to Touchstone for the rest of second and third grade.

“From there, I moved back to New York City, to the same apartment in Manhattan, for grades four through halfway into six. In those three years, I went to three more schools: first the United Nations International School, then I switched to a public school around the block in East Harlem, and then to another one after that. The last one, Manhattan East, has been my favorite school I’ve ever been to.

“Halfway through sixth grade, COVID happened. We’d been looking for houses upstate for about a year; we probably looked at over a hundred. My dad’s coworker lived here and invited us to a Mountain Bike Festival. We came, looked at three houses, and my parents fell in love with the first one. They bought it while I was still in sixth grade. We planned to move at the end of the school year, but my dad, who was following the news, foresaw the shutdowns, so we moved mid-year.

“It was hard to enroll me in school here because of COVID, since no one wanted to take students from the city. So, I ended up doing half of sixth grade and all of seventh grade virtually through New York City, even though I was living six hours away from my friends. One of the best weeks of my life was at the end of seventh grade when I went back to New York City for in-person school and finally saw my friends again. I think I peaked in seventh grade.

“Eighth grade, I finally went to Lake Placid Middle School. After that, I switched to Northwood. Before Northwood, the longest I’d ever been at one school was two and a half years. Now, I’ve been here for four years. It’s also the longest I’ve ever lived in one place, which feels weird. I can feel this urge to move far away again—that’s why I’m planning to go to Norway next year.

“It’s tricky because most people here come for sports. The first thing anyone asks you is, ‘What sport do you play?’ or ‘Why are you here?’ And honestly, I used to think—’Why am I here? Because there was nowhere else for me to go.’ Would I have chosen this school if I were living somewhere else? No. There’d be no reason. That’s helped me actually find a place. I think I’ve built enough respect that I don’t have to worry about belonging anymore. It’s unfortunate that I had to earn respect, but that’s kind of what happens when you don’t have a team to back you up.

“My freshman year, Northwood Dance was a thing. When I came here, I didn’t know what a co-curricular was. At orientation, they had tables lined up, and when I got to the co-curricular table, they asked, ‘What are you going to do?’ and I was like, ‘Do something?’ I’d never been to a school where you had to pick something to be. So I looked at the list and just said, ‘Okay, I guess I’ll do dance,’ because there was nothing else I wanted. I had never danced before. I joined Northwood Dance not out of passion, just because I had to. One ballet class a week, and at the time, it meant nothing to me.

“That summer, my mom signed me up for a one-week intensive at Alvin Ailey in New York City, so I’d be occupied since I refused to get a job. We danced eight hours a day—it was amazing. My body had never felt so good. We’d take two classes in the morning—ballet, hip-hop, whatever—then lunch, then two choreography classes in the afternoon. It gave me a taste of what it was like to be a professional dancer: taking the train, reading a book, living that rhythm. I met dancers from everywhere. We’d eat McDonald’s for lunch—very proper dancers.

“After that, I started taking drop-in classes in NYC at Gibney Studios, which shares a building with the American Ballet Theatre. It’s so cool because now I see reels online and think, ‘I’ve been in that studio.’ Alvin Ailey had live drummers for African dance—such an incredible experience. I also tried drop-in ballet classes at Gibney. I was terrible and heartbroken because everyone else made it look effortless. But I had never seen something so beautiful. I called my mom after class, sobbing, saying, ‘This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.’

“Sophomore year, I switched from the now-defunct Northwood Dance to LPCA. I met my ballet teacher and danced 2–3.5 hours a day. I was ready to live and breathe ballet—I definitely danced over 100 hours that year—but eventually, the joy disappeared. The mirrors felt harsh, the lights unbearable. I started skipping class, then stopped altogether.

“Junior year, I went all out with NOC. I returned to the Dance Sanctuary, did contemporary in the first semester, then ballet. That’s what I’m still doing. This year, I also joined the freestyle ski team, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me.

“Last year, I managed to build my own little group of people—from all over, from all different teams. It was comforting to see that it could be the case, because I’d never seen that before.”

“A quote my dad’s always said to me is as follows: You can’t soar with Eagles when you hang with the Chickens. It just means that if you want to be great in life, you have to surround yourself with people who have high standards. If you spend your time with people who have “average” goals, you will be average – so yeah, I suggest everyone surround themselves with those who are as driven and hardworking as you are and aspire to be.

“Something most don’t know about me is that I have a black belt in karate. I got it when I was 12; I started when I was about 6 or 7. At first, I was there because my dad just threw me into some classes. But in hindsight, I also stuck with it because it taught me things like discipline, controlling my emotions, and being respectful – I think this was why my dad had me take karate.

“You know me – I’m a baller. I’m joking, but if I were to play another sport, it’d be either basketball or football. Basketball, because I’ve grown up watching it, being from the 6, I’ve probably been to over 30 Raptors games. Football, just because I think it fits my personality, and because I enjoy it obviously – If I were to play, I’d be either a receiver or a DB.

“Pineapple does not belong on pizza. Pineapple (fruit) is meant to be had with yogurt, or something cool and fresh – not something hot and gooey and savory. I love pineapple, just not on pizza.

“In my two years, I think I’ve matured as a person a ton. When I first got here, I was an overly cocky and rowdy guy; I wasn’t always the nicest to teammates. I think most of all, I’ve emotionally matured. I used to get angry and lose composure over things and would be out of line, so I think I’ve found that line in showing emotion, but not crossing that line.”

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

“I first heard about Northwood from my longtime teammate and friend, Henry Kress ‘26. I applied, and shortly after, Coach Mallaro reached out to my brother and me. We had been looking at a couple of different places, but when we met with faculty members and coaches from Northwood, it was pretty much a no-brainer. We never had the chance to tour because of a busy season, but looking at the pictures and the town was enough. The season had just ended, and we had to make the decision pretty quickly, but I couldn’t be happier here at Northwood.

“My favorite part about Northwood has got to be how friendly everyone is on campus and how the faculty really makes you feel at home. Last year, being away from home for the first time, it was pretty scary coming here, but after the first week, I felt very at home. Also, being in class with all my buddies is awesome. It makes the days and the classes fly by.

“One thing I would say to everyone at Northwood is to really enjoy every moment while you’re here. Last year was one of the best years of my life, and it really does fly by. Just enjoy the company of everyone, go to every dance, meet new people, and never think that you’re too cool to do something. This place offers a ton of unique experiences, and everyone should make the most of them.”

As told to Casey Morrissey ’27. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I found out about Northwood through Chadd Cassidy; he is one of the previous Northwood coaches. After hearing about it from someone who had experienced it and worked with the student-athletes here at Northwood, it just seemed like the perfect balance of hockey and school. I got accepted a month before school started because I was a late admission, so I never got to come to school or take a tour. So, coming out here not really knowing what to expect besides what I was told was nerve-racking, but this place really feels like a second home to me now. There are so many opportunities to meet people you would have never met anywhere else in the world. The people here really care about one another, and it is an amazing community.

“I plan to play junior hockey somewhere in the USHL and further my career in hockey. I also hope to be recruited to a Division 1 hockey team to further my academic goals. I also am planning to take some classes through a local college, depending on where I am, to get some college credit for when I am ready to go in.

“One thing I have learned from Northwood is just how to be a great human being. Everyone here is so nice and welcoming; it is hard not to have it rubbed off on you. When you are surrounded by amazing people, you become one yourself. I have also learned to just talk to everyone. Why not just talk to everyone? It is not every day that I get to talk to someone from a completely different culture from mine. It is special to have that opportunity.”

As told to Kevin Betsch ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“My favorite hobby other than hockey is jujitsu. I started this in the fifth grade because I got picked on, but it slowly grew to be one of my favorite things to do. I wanted to learn to defend myself, and now it is something that calms me and gives me confidence. It makes me feel at peace. I am currently working on a black belt and plan to test for it this summer.

There are so many reasons I love Northwood. It feels like a home away from home because of the community. I am never alone, and I am constantly surrounded by people who push me and are always there for me. I am from Ottawa, Ontario, and the transition to living away from home had its difficulties. But I love the part about being away from home where I get to be my own person, and I also think it has pushed me to mature.

I discovered Northwood through hockey. Once I toured, I instantly knew that Northwood would be a place I could call home.

Someone who inspires me is my dad, especially hockey-wise. He pushes me to my limits and knows I can handle it, and in the end, it makes me a better player and better person, and for that, I am incredibly grateful to him.

My plan for next year is to go back to Northwood for a postgraduate year. I feel this will be better for my development in hockey and overall help me with schooling and socially.”

As told to Anna Monette ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“Kenya was an important part of my life, and it made me view the world differently as someone who lived in one country with because you get to experience how it is in a third-world country rather than just a first-world country, and you get to see the difference between living in Africa versus like the United States. It’s like a very big difference. And it gave me a sense of culture and identity. So, I definitely like the effects it had on who I am as a person.

“In Kenya, sports are very popular, but like the government, they don’t really support it as well as they should and they can, but they decide not to and so there’s no really foundation for younger players to you know play at like a high level so the best option for most players is to go abroad and play like in the US or like Europe. So, for me, Northwood was just the best place for me to go where I could continue to study and play soccer at the same time. The soccer program is, of course, one of the top programs in the nation, and at the same time, the academics are also very good. So yeah, that is why I chose Northwood.

“I would say my favorite place from Northwood in my time here would obviously have to be Berg. Berg, I think I have the most memories of Berg because it was like my first year, and it was the most fun. We always did something fun during that time, and there was never a dull moment. Being in the same hall with all my teammates was just a great experience and one of the things that made Northwood so good for me.

“I’m closest with, probably, Tziyon, because we came here at the same time. Ever since the first week we moved in, we’ve been friends the whole time. He’s basically a brother to me. We have been hanging out every single day for like the past three years, except for on breaks. He has been with me through all the ups and downs and everything in between.

“Where would I be in ten years? I don’t know; I feel like I’d probably be married at that time. And I’d probably be like, settling down in a place to live, I don’t know, maybe move back to Kenya, or I’d probably move back to like Texas or somewhere down south. So yeah, I’ll probably be living in one of those places, but who knows, we’ll just have to wait and see where life takes me, I guess. We’ll see where life takes me.”

As told to Noah Moodey ‘26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I’m from Ponte Vedra, Florida, which is about a 3.5-hour flight from Lake Placid. I played for South Kent School in Connecticut before I came to Northwood. I chose Northwood for the Prep hockey team being very strong, while also having good academics.

“My favorite part about Northwood is playing hockey every day and playing against some of the best teams. I also love having all my friends here and being together all the time in the dorms.

“My favorite place to eat in town definitely has to be Luna’s. The best thing there is the penne a la vodka with chicken.

“My plans after I graduate from Northwood are to play junior hockey. After juniors, I would like to play NCAA hockey, where I would want to major in business or psychology.

“The best memory I have at Northwood is getting to hang out with all my friends in the dorms. It is an atmosphere you can’t describe, and you become so close with the guys. I also love playing golf with my friends in the spring. It’s always fun after class to go straight to the course.

“The best advice I could give is to be in the moment. This means not focusing on what has happened before or what will happen in the future. Focus on the present and be in that moment and enjoy it as you only get one try at it.”

As told to Owen MacLean ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“Before Northwood, my main sport was rugby. It’s pretty big in Canada, but at my school, it kind of slowed down for a while. My stepsister played when it was still strong, and I always looked up to her. You aren’t allowed to start until your third year of high school, so I spent a long time waiting to finally play. When I got the chance, I really loved it, and it became my sport. My team wasn’t the best because most people were younger, and the school didn’t want to push the sport because it’s dangerous and has a lot of risk. We had to recruit a lot. We lost a lot of games because we were such a young team, but the spirit we had made everything so fun. There were so many games where it was pouring rain and freezing, and we still laughed the whole time. One of my favorite moments was when I won awards from the team. I was co-captain with one of my teammates, and I won right back down. That meant so much to me.

“I’m an RA this year, and I’m on Head’s Council. I applied to be an RA last year because I wanted to participate more in my dorm and get to know new people better. I thought it would help me be more involved, and it has. Head’s Council was something I joined a little later, after talking to someone about wanting to be part of it. I wanted to have more of a role in the school and contribute wherever I could.

“When I think about moments where I felt like a leader, it’s mostly through CARE. I think I have a big impact there. I’m the oldest one, and I feel like I have a good role in keeping things organized and helping the younger students. I try to be someone people can come to if they need it.

“I’ve also traveled a lot. One of the trips I did before coming to Northwood was to Peru. I went alone for two months, and I lived with a host mom. Every day, I would volunteer and work in an orphanage. That trip pushed a lot of growth in me. It made me realize so many things about my life and what I value, and it’s an experience I’ll carry with me forever.

“This year, my biggest project is finishing my 77-hour New York State real estate course. Even though I can’t get licensed because I’m not a U.S. resident, I wanted to do it for the learning part and for the discipline. Doing that much work while being at Northwood is a challenge, but it’s something I really want to complete.

“I know I might not be the most social person, and I know not everyone gets to know me well, but I hope people remember that I cared about the school and cared about my friends. I hope they remember me as someone who was there if anybody needed it.”

As told to Jacob Slagel ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“My favorite meal? 
This is going to be pretty controversial. Some people hate it. Some people love it. I like the classic chicken sandwich, the best meal. I know most people think we have too much chicken, but when I see the chicken sandwich, I know it’s gonna be a great day.

“I started ski jumping when I was 10 or 11. At first, I wasn’t very committed to it, and I split my time between skiing, soccer, and mountain biking. Then one day, one of my coaches told me about the promise I had in the sport, and I decided to start focusing on it and train year-round. I’d say that it worked out pretty well.

“I first heard about Northwood through teammate Jack Kroll, who was already ski jumping there at the time, and I saw him get very good, very quick, so I knew I needed to look into it to continue my progression. This is now my second year in Northwood, and it has helped me become a better ski jumper.

“Last year, I qualified for Junior Worlds and then at Junior Worlds, I was able to get 21st and individual for U20 and was part of the first-ever US men’s team event podium at Junior Worlds. For people my age, I placed second in the event. Events like this are made possible by being here. It’s the balance Northwood has between athletics and academics that has helped me the most. I am a local athlete and previously attended the Lake Placid Public School, and when I had to travel to Europe to train or compete for a week or two at a time, they wouldn’t have allowed it, whereas Northwood is very accommodating. This is one of the things I am going to miss most, the structure of the days at Northwood and how much training we get.”

As told to Jack Kroll ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.