Jazzy Valenzuela ’21 (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)

What’s up! I’m 16 years old, and I’m from Stamford, Connecticut. My favorite part of Northwood is all the friends I’ve made here and the teachers I’ve gotten close to. In the fall, I was a part of the drama program where we performed the musical The Good Old Days. In the winter, I’m really excited to get back on the court with my team for basketball, and in the spring, I play lacrosse. I like to play the piano in the living room or make bagels during flex periods. One of the best things here at Northwood is LEAP. This year, I get to travel to Montreal and learn what it’s like to be in a circus. After Northwood, I hope to attend a good college to major in psychology.

According to the blurb on Northwood’s web site, Matt Roy…

…has taught Physics, Physical Science, and Biology at Northwood School since 2004.  He has also coached various sports including soccer, crew, and whitewater kayaking.. Before life at Northwood, Matt was the Executive Director of the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and a member of the 1988 Olympic Bobsled team.  He is a 1982 graduate of St. Lawrence University where he majored in Biology and Environmental Studies. Matt is married and has four children – Emily ’08, Kate ’06, Chris ’15 and Robbie.

Staff writer Bernado Simões ’20 sat down with Mr. Roy to get to know him better. Here is his report.

Mr. Roy at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games (Photo provided).

Mr. Roy on the bobsled track (Photo provided).

Bernado Simões: Tell me a little about yourself.

Mr. Roy: I was born in New York City, and I lived there until I was six. From there, I moved to Westchester County and then to Saranac Lake when I was around twenty, twenty-five. I’ve been living in Lake Placid since 1985 when I married my wife Caroline. We have four children and currently three dogs, but we hope to give one back.

I was a bobsledding athlete from 1980 to 1990. I ran the USA Bobsled Federation from 1992 to 2004, and I have been teaching at Northwood since the 2004-2005 school year.

How did you first learn about Northwood? Why did you decide to come here?

When I was bobsledding, I felt that understanding physics gave me a competitive advantage. Even though I was a biology major, I thought I would like to teach physics one day. But actually realizing that I wanted to be a teacher goes way back….

My mom and I were on our way to California when we found out that my father had collapsed on a golf course because of stomach cancer. He was about to take a new job in Nigeria. Despite my dad’s cancer, I went to the American School in Switzerland, because it was easier than going to school in Nigeria and then coming back to the States. When my dad passed away, I was still at the American School. There, I had people, such as my rugby coach, my kayak coach, and my chemistry teacher who were sort of father figures to me, and I thought that after a career in bobsledding maybe I’d go teach at a private school. So I applied for a job at Northwood, and here I am sixteen years later.

Mr. Roy at Northwood School in 2018 (Photo: Mr. Aldridge).

Mr. Roy with his rockets (Photo provided).

When you first got here, what was your first impression of Northwood? 

Before coming here, I already knew of Northwood. I had a lot of friends here. When growing up, I had a girlfriend who went here, my wife went here, and the guy who got me into bobsledding and I would come down on the weekends and work out on the Edwards Field when I was at St. Lawrence. I remember Northwood as a nice tight community–a smaller school than what I was used to.

How has the school changed since you came here sixteen years ago?

I would say that the biggest difference is co-curricular. When I started here, students were pretty much competitive hockey players or skiers. Everybody else that wasn’t on a team went to the mountain and skied during the winter. Now we have dance, drama, music, rockets, mountain biking, yoga, etc.

How did you start bobsledding?

I was in a waterski club, and the guy who drove the boat in the club had been in the 1980 Winter Olympics. He had crashed and was hurt, but he was going to start sliding again. He asked me to be his brakeman, so we trained together in the fall. At that time, my mother had a boyfriend who had been a bobsledder, and he told me, “If you wanna control your destiny, you gotta be a driver,” so I started driving and would slide from December to March every year.

Do you currently have any connection to bobsledding?

For the last fifteen years, I have taken Northwood kids out to participate in a youth sliding program.

After my career as an athlete, I was Executive Director for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation for 12 years. I was very proud to get Skeleton and Womens’ Bobsled added to the Olympic program for the 2002 games. I spent a lot of time traveling, a lot of time away from my family, and after 20 years, I was ready for some time off. Now I look forward to retiring from teaching and having some time to volunteer at track.

What was your favorite day at Northwood so far?

Every day is great here! I like being involved with the kids.

I do remember a day when the power was out because of a storm, and the teachers taught without any power, without any lights. That was interesting!

Some of my favorite memories are when kids say “Oh my god, I can’t do that,” when they first go whitewater kayaking, but at the end of the day manage to do it. Those moments make me proud. Or sometimes when I’m teaching and a kid says, “Oh, I get it now!”

Tony Miller joins Northwood as an instructor in the English Department. He will also be working with Noel Carmichael on the school’s drama productions. Tony is a Lake Placid native who graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs with a degree in English and a minor in Political Science. He worked at the Bookstore Plus on and off for eight years and has also participated in a number of community theater productions over the past ten years. Tony recently worked as an adjunct professor at Paul Smith’s College, teaching English 101 – Effective College Writing for freshman students. Mr. Miller also loves theater, the Adirondacks and has an 8-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog.

That was the brief description of new teacher Mr. Tony Miller on Northwood’s home page. The Mirror staff writer Olivia Paul ’21 tried to get to know him a little better and filed this report.

Mr. Tony Miller (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)

How did you first learn about Northwood? Why did you decide to come here?

I grew up in Lake Placid, and some of my friends went to Northwood, so I always knew of Northwood.

When I heard of the opportunity to possibly work here, I was very excited because I didn’t know much about Northwood life or [what it would be like] working at Northwood. I wanted to learn more about the school.

When you first got here, what was your first impression of Northwood? Has it changed?

My first major impression was how the sense of community was even stronger than I’d expected. An example of this is the relationship between the students and the faculty.

That impression has changed only for the better. Northwood has also surprised me quite a bit with how much everybody works together for the common good. It’s really wonderful to see that.

How is Northwood similar or different from the schools you attended?

Northwood is very different from my high school for a lot of reasons. But it’s also similar in the sense of comradery and support amongst the students. It’s a lot like where I went for college because that’s where I was able to surround myself with so many people from all around the world and from all walks of life. At Lake Placid, I didn’t necessarily get that.

What was your favorite day at Northwood so far? What challenges have you faced at Northwood so far?

My favorite memory at Northwood so far was the musical [The Good Old Days]. Not that other days weren’t good, but to feel the energy and to hear people enjoying the show meant so much. Just to hear the buzz about it was what made it the most fun.

A challenge I’ve faced was just getting into the routine of Northwood life. But I adapted pretty quickly, and it’s not too much of a challenge now.

I’m from York, Maine, I’m 19 years old, and I am a postgraduate. My favorite thing about Northwood is the people. I feel like I’ve fit in from the start — like I’ve been here for years, even though I’ve only been here a couple months. My favorite thing about Lake Placid is downtown: being able to leave the school and hang out with everybody. It’s a cool environment to go out to get food and hang out around the lake. Next year, I will be going to college at the University of Akron where I will be playing soccer, which I’m excited about, and then hopefully from there play professionally someplace.

As told to Miranda Bookman ‘20