“I loved being able to cheer on and support all the athletic teams and interact with the public to represent Northwood at community events. Plus, it allowed me to interact with more students than I generally would on my own without being on one of the teams,” said JT Wint ’25, who has spent all four years of his Northwood career being the face of the school at most of the home sporting events.

“I’ve been the mascot for all of my 4 years. The summer before 9th grade, I watched YouTube videos on ‘how to be a mascot,’ I also went to the dance studio and worked with Ms. Mandi in front of the mirrors. Initially, I needed a handler to help with the suit to ensure I didn’t fall down any stairs. Eventually, I could get zipped up on my own and manage stairs. I only ran into a glass double door once at the Arena, but thankfully, not many people were in the vicinity.”

“There were so many fun times that I don’t think I could pick just one. It was fun to ride the chairlift and ski in the Husky suit, have dogs want to play with me, ride a Zamboni, get mash pitted at the prom, participate all over town during the FISU World University Games, pose with lots of people for pictures, cheer on countless events for Northwood, and generally be welcomed wherever I went. I’m going to miss seeing all the smiles from people when I would walk by and all the hugs I would get from little kids. Also, a big one would be the number of people who don’t know what animal the husky is and trying to explain it without speaking, which isn’t easy to do.”

“I have always enjoyed community service, and this was a great way for me to do something for my school community.  As a ninth grader and new student at Northwood, it gave me something to get involved in, and then I just enjoyed doing it, so I continued for all four years. Hopefully somebody else will take over the reins – uh leash,” Wint laughed.

The Northwood Community thanks JT for all the support he’s brought to the games over the years. He has left some big shoes to fill!

“My favorite artist? Gracie Hurlbut ‘25 has really gotten me into Noah Kahan, and I also like Zach Bryan.”

“My dad was a women’s college hockey coach, so from when I was really young, I always played and loved the game. When I was like, a mite-level player, we had a team and my mom was the coach. We didn’t have a goalie, and she said, ‘no one wants to do it. You have to do it,’ and I just loved it, and I’ve run with it ever since. I’m really glad to have the opportunity to play at a place like Northwood, and I’m really happy to have the opportunity to play at the next level after this.

“I’m going to Quinnipiac University next year, and I’ll be playing on their Division One women’s ice hockey team. It’s really exciting. They have great coaches, and I just love the school and the program, so I’m really looking forward to it.

“Hockey-wise, my favorite moment from Northwood so far was when we won the J-dub tournament out in Virginia; that was awesome. But my favorite moment at school was Winter Carnival—that was really cool. It was so fun to see everyone get involved and really competitive. I think I spent five hours on the puzzle.

“I’m from Whitesboro, New York. It’s about three hours away from here, just outside Utica. I live with both my parents and my two brothers. One of them is older than me, and he goes to college at Clarkson. The other one’s a year younger; he’s a high school junior. We have a dog. Our family is tight-knit, making it sad to move away from home. But they’re always supportive of me, and I’m so lucky that they have always supported me and encouraged me to go after my dreams.”

“I was a little homesick at the start. It’s different not being with your family every day, but it’s really forced me to grow and become more independent. It’s prepared me for college and being on my own next year. I think that, as a person, I’ve matured a lot. I’ve had to learn lessons I wouldn’t have learned at home with my parents, and I’m much more independent. At college next year, I’ll be much more ready to tackle that new community and sports environment with what I gained this year. I feel like Northwood has given me such an advantage compared to other kids. When I get to college next year, athletically, academically, I feel like I’m just a step ahead of everyone else now.”

As told to Sasha Luhur ’27. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I was born and raised on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and I’ve lived there my entire life. Aside from spending a few summers away from home for soccer, the only other place I’ve ever lived is here at Northwood. Oahu is the place where I feel most comfortable calling home. It’s where I grew up, built all my memories, and where my entire family lives. There’s something special about the pace of life back home. The people are laid-back, the culture is welcoming, and the island’s natural beauty has always made me feel grounded. No matter where life takes me, Hawaii will always be the place I return to when I need comfort.

“Growing up in Hawaii, I never faced social barriers because of my Asian identity. Hawaii has a strong Asian culture, and many people there are Asian themselves, so I always felt like I belonged. It wasn’t until I started traveling to the mainland and eventually living here that I noticed how much less common it is to see Asian Americans. Still, I’ve never felt discriminated against or like I don’t fit in. Instead, seeing these differences made me more aware of how unique Hawaii’s cultural diversity is, and how lucky I am to have grown up in a place where different backgrounds are so naturally accepted. That experience has given me the confidence to carry myself comfortably in new environments.”

As told to Li Feng ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“Growing up, I always went to summer camp that my mom and her friends started in New Jersey. Currently, I am a camp counselor, but I used to be a camper. There, I rock-climbed and swam. I only missed the summers during the pandemic or for luge. It always falls on my birthday, so I have a lot of good memories there.

“When I was ten, I saw an advertisement on Facebook for luge. I thought the sport was interesting, so I went to a track at Mt. Van Hoevenberg and tried it out. And I stuck with it since then.

“I don’t have a particular pre-game ritual. Since training is always on the same day as racing, I do everything as usual. I try not to get in my head with racing. Just trying to be calm and keeping it cool.

“Out of all the places I have traveled to for luge, Austria was the best. It was unbelievably beautiful there.

“I’ve also been dancing since I was five at the Dance Sanctuary in Saranac Lake. My favorite style is contemporary.

“I really love the art room on campus. It is a place where I can stay calm and hang out. I took an art class in 9^th grade, and I hadn’t taken one until this year, so I found myself falling in love with the art room again. When I graduate, I will miss it a lot, and the lunch conversations I have with my friends.

“After graduation, I am going to take a gap year to focus on luge. Then, I will do online college classes because it is hard to go to college in person while having to train.

“After spending four years at Northwood, I think I have grown a lot. While I am still a closed-off person, I think I have been putting myself out there more. Last week, I ran the school meeting, and I thought I would never do that in my entire life.”

As told to Jenny Tran ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Wolfgang Lux has a very different schedule from other students at Northwood. He plays a bit for the varsity hockey team but mostly does luge. He’s been playing hockey for 12 years now, and he started this passion around 6 years old by just shooting pucks with his dad in the backyard. Luge is his main sport, and he is one of the best in the country for his age. You don’t see him very often at Northwood, since he’s always gone for competition or training in many European countries such as Austria, Germany, and Latvia. He is currently on the USA Junior National Luge Team and works hard on and off the track to accomplish his goal of making the USA Olympic team.

“I learned about Northwood when Northwood recruiters came to my hometown. I was interested in the high level of hockey, and later toured the school and right away fell in love. This was the best decision I have ever made. I’ve grown more than anything in the past 4 years at Northwood. I am forever grateful to be given the opportunity to be at this amazing school.

“My plan for next year is to go to basic training for the military and continue with my luge through the winter.

“I learned a lot at Northwood, especially how to be independent. I’ve learned to become more open with people and found myself always learning something new every day. The culture at this school has taught me my values, leadership skills, social skills, and academic excellence.

“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice. I have learned that sometimes I can struggle so much that I learn the true strength I have to keep going.

“My biggest advice would be to take risks! Coming to Northwood was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken, and one of the best ones, too. Take risks and fail so you can learn.”

As told to Charles Pigeon ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.