“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.

“My favorite thing to do in Lake Placid on weekends is walk into town and eat at Players with my friends. The food is always good, and it’s always a good time. I also like to go to the movies, take a walk around the lake, and go to the arcade. During my free time on a school day, I usually study, rest, stretch, or train.

“I am a four-year senior on the soccer team. I live in Hong Kong, so the travel day to Northwood is always long. I’ve had so many great times with my friends here, from going into town on soccer trips.

“During breaks, I either go home to Hong Kong or go with my family to Vancouver. My family has had a house in Vancouver for a while, so we go there and meet up with family friends. After that, we usually drive up to Whistler and ski. My favorite part of Whistler is the extremely high gondola and trails. When I’m home in Hong Kong, I like to go out with my friends and train. Sometimes we go to the beach for a night swim, which is fun.

“Something a lot of people wouldn’t know about me is that I used to play rugby and was on a swimming team. I think both helped me develop good morals as I played them when I was younger.

“I hope to leave behind a good image at Northwood and to set an example to the underclassmen. Northwood has taught me that it takes hard work and dedication to succeed at whatever you’re doing, but it’s also important to keep a good balance between schoolwork, soccer, and social life.”

As told to Yosef Spear ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“Being here at Northwood is different because I am surrounded by everyone who has the same goal as me, so it really helps push me.

“My time at Northwood has been amazing. I love all of the faculty, and my coaches and I look forward to coming back and getting right into skiing!

“I am most looking forward to the race season and having that time of grind to be the best that I can be and the team to do the best. I love spending all my time with my girls.

“The most difficult thing about being here is being away from my home, family, and friends, which I had been used to seeing and being around every day for my whole life.

“So far, my favorite memory of Northwood has been the Chile camp with all of the skiers. It was a really great camp with great training, and it was a really great opportunity to get to know everyone.”

As told to Lucas Smith ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“Coming into Freshmen year, I had a lot of hope for these next 4 years at Northwood. Now that I am a senior at Northwood, I feel I did pretty well, getting good grades, my pilot’s license, and having a good time skiing, as well as making many friends along the way.

“I am from Saratoga Springs, NY, and living off campus in Lake Placid. The switch from boarding student to day student went well, and my favorite part about it is that I can drive anywhere. It’s cool to be anywhere and have more freedom than a boarding student does.

“I was able to experience a lot of cool trips around the world, including Japan, and others. I learned about many new cultures and became friends with people all over the world. As well, I feel I use all of Northwood School’s core values.

“Now being a senior, I am starting to apply to many colleges, including the Air Force Academy, Montana State University, and Utah State University.

“Leaving high school this year, I will be a little nervous but also excited to see what comes next.”

As told to Nate Benjamin ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.