“What I love so much about this place is how tightly knit this whole community is. To put it simply, my friends. Everyone here really cares for one another, and it feels like one big family. It makes it easy to live here, and having such a strong community makes leaving home easier. This place really feels like a second home to me.

“For me, I am looking forward to meeting many new friends, especially because of all the amazing people I met last year who have moved on. I am just excited to become friends with more amazing people. I am also pumped for the hockey season, as a returning player, I am really excited to exceed what we did last year as a team.

“Next year, I hope to play Major Junior hockey in either the USHL or CHL. I also hope to continue my development in hockey and further my recruitment process with NCAA Division I schools. I also want to keep up with my academics and knock out some general eds through a college program.

“My main takeaway from my time at Northwood is just to live in the moment. Last year really made me realize how quickly time can fly by. No matter what is going on with outside things, just make sure you are living in the moment. You just form connections here like no other place, and you can never take those for granted. You have no idea where you could be in the next few years, but you can always make sure you are living in the moment and making the most of what you’ve got. It’s not what you’re given, it’s what you do with what you’ve got.”

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

“Family matters to me. I have a twin brother named Edward. He is older than me by a minute and a half. We share the same middle and last names in Chinese. He used to play soccer but had to stop for health reasons. Even so, we still push each other and stay close. That support helps me on hard days.

“I am a center mid who sometimes plays on the wing, and I am from Wuhan, China. My mom and I were looking for a school where I could study in the United States and still grow in soccer. She found Northwood online and emailed the coach. That message changed everything for me. I came here not only to play, but also to learn how to live more independently and prepare for college.

“This season, my favorite moments are simple ones in the middle of the field. I like when I scan early, check to the ball, and see a runner start to move. If I can slip a pass into space and hear my teammate call for it, that is the best feeling. It is not always a goal or an assist. Sometimes it is just the rhythm of moving the ball and trusting each other.

“My playing style is steady and team-first. I try to connect, play, keep the ball, and do the running that helps us stay organized. I am working on being more direct in the final third. In training, I focus on first touch, quick decisions, and communication. The unglamorous part is sending emails, watching film, and keeping my legs fresh for the next session.

“The hardest challenge this year was the college process. At first, it felt big and confusing. You have to write to many people and wait for replies. It got better after I pushed myself to reach out more and talk to coaches and mentors. Putting in that effort taught me that results come after the work, not before.

“My favorite part of Northwood is the small community. You build real friendships with people you see in class, on the field, and around campus. It makes it easy to talk, ask for help, and feel at home. For a new student who wants to play here, my advice is simple: give your effort every day, pay attention to the small things, and you will have no regrets when you look back.”

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

“‘Believe in yourself’ is something that my goalie coach from back home told me three years ago, and it really stuck with me. I have it written on the top of my hockey water bottle so I can look at it during games when I need confidence. It is something I think about daily to help me get through my down moments, both on and off the ice.

“I am from Montreal, Quebec, and I started playing hockey when I was four. Shortly after I started playing, I chose to be a goalie. I decided to be a goalie because both of my older brothers, who played hockey, would always put me in the net with some goalie gear in the house for mini sticks and shoot on me for hours, so I became a natural at goalie before I even stepped on the ice, thanks to my brothers. Another reason I wanted to be a goalie was that the goalie on my brother’s team was a girl, and she inspired me to play.

“I knew about Northwood because a guy who lived in my town went here before and loved it.

“My transition to Northwood at first was hard. I was a 15-year-old who was very homesick, and I was learning English. French is my first language, and  I barely spoke any English. I felt very alone because I couldn’t understand many conversations. After a while, my English got better, and thanks to two seniors at the time, Halle Mules ‘24 and Shayna Deutsch ‘24, who took me under their wings, I started to feel less homesick. Looking back, I am so happy I made it through those challenges because I love it here, it has become my second home, and the people have become family.

“Next year, I will be continuing my hockey and academic career at RIT. I am excited to attend RIT to play Division I hockey. Playing Division I has always been a dream of mine. Along with excitement, I am also scared of this next adventure. I am not scared as much of going to college, but more of having to leave Northwood and all the amazing people I have met here. I also do not know what I will be studying, but I am really interested in human biology.”

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

“I’ve lived on campus since I was three. Growing up, it was always cool to see the people who attended Northwood and hang out with them. It feels weird to me, you know, the older kids that I used to hang out with and look up to, like, I’m one of them now.  It’s a full circle. I’ve been here most of my life, and soon I’m going to leave and go to college, but Northwood’s helped me develop as a person.

“I started freestyle skiing in my sophomore year. After freshman year, I saw the freestyle team, and I skied with Clay [Fuller ‘25] and some of the other freestyle skiers. Then, I decided I wanted to join it. In my sophomore year, I did, and I really liked it. I made Nationals my first year, and then my junior year, I liked it as well, and I made Nationals again. This year, I’m not in the freestyle team; that’s just because I didn’t really think it was worth it for me, because it’s a lot of time, and I’m not going to ski in college. So, I’d rather have more time to work on my schoolwork. It’s also not the same with the new team.

“Freestyle taught me good fundamentals. I learned to show up to training on time, stay grounded, and to listen to my coach. One of my favorite Northwood memories comes from freestyle. My sophomore year, after I made Nationals my first year of freestyle skiing. It was special. I had to put a lot of work in that season to make Nationals, and I made it for rail jam, ski cross, and slope style, so all three. I was just really proud of myself, and it was a big moment in my life. Just seeing that I could do that was cool.

“I’ll probably miss the people the most. It’s what makes the school, and I’ve known a lot of these people for years, and it’s gonna be hard. Everyone’s going different ways.”

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

Mr. Shashwath Sunkum ’22. Photo by Jacob Slagel.

When students at Northwood need extra math support, they can reach Mr. Shashwath “Shash” Sunkum for tutoring. Sunkum, a 2022 graduate of Northwood, describes his role as equal parts problem-solving and confidence-building. “You have to find what students already understand, then build from there,” Sunkum said. “A lot of people carry a stigma about math. If we strip that away and work in the style that fits them, they move forward.”

Sunkum’s interest in tutoring began while a student at Northwood, where he took AP Calculus with Mr. Emery and joined informal study sessions in the library. In college, he served as a teaching assistant for several math courses and later mentored an advanced class. “I have always enjoyed math, and I have always enjoyed interacting with young minds,” he said.

His approach centers on meeting students where they are. He notes that confusion is not always a matter of the content. Sometimes it is about past experiences with the subject or low confidence. Because learning styles vary, he tries to explain ideas in multiple ways and asks questions to uncover what a student already knows. “The material in high school is doable,” Sunkum said. “The goal is to help students see that they can do it.”

Access is designed to be simple. Sunkum said students can contact him on Microsoft Teams with a photo of a question to get started, and he often uses his iPad during calls to write out steps live. He also allocates time during Sunday night quiet hours for walk-in help and uses spaces like the Learning Center or math lab when appropriate. For specifics on time and location, he recommends students check Teams and his posted availability.

For those who feel intimidated by math, Sunkum advises a reset at the start of each new topic. “Discard any preconceived notions,” he said. “Come with an open mind and give your best effort in the 45 minutes you have in class.” He also cautions against letting secondhand opinions determine expectations: a course that felt hard for one student may be a good fit for another’s learning style.

Sunkum links his work to the legacy of Mr. Roger Loud, a longtime Northwood math teacher who also served as head of North Country School for decades. As a student, Sunkum frequently met Mr. Loud in the library for quick help followed by wide-ranging conversations. “I am doing this in honor of him,” Sunkum said.

Students who want help can message Mr. Sunkum on Teams to share a question or to find his next help block. His aim is straightforward: clear steps, steady practice, and a little more confidence each time.