I grew up in Minnesota, in a neighborhood where kids just ran around and played and had fun. We were outside all the time, and I played many sports. I was a good student; I wasn’t a great student. Very early on, I learned that I loved math and science. I went to college to be a math major and then switched because I fell in love with biology. I originally thought I would be a math teacher since I loved working with people, and I didn’t like sitting still. So, I thought I’d be a teacher there and then.

I got involved in some scientific research, and I loved it. I received my master’s degree and was going for a Ph.D. and becoming a college professor, but I realized a large part of that was writing grants and looking for money and not really doing the hands-on stuff, which is what I liked. So, I went back, and after I got my master’s, I started teaching high school.

That’s been the last 24 years. I’ve been teaching high school for a long time and have taught at the university level. I taught for two years at the university and did research. Before I went to grad school, I worked at Outward Bound. I was an Outward Bound instructor for three years, where we took kids in the woods and taught them how to hike, whitewater, canoe, backpack, and camp. I did that for three years, and I loved it, but three years was long enough—I didn’t need to keep doing it. I went to graduate school after that. So chronologically, it was college, Outward Bound, graduate school, and I started teaching high school.

My husband and I lived in Rochester, NY, about four hours away. And every time we had time off, we would drive here to do outdoor activities like rock climbing and camping. I was teaching there, and my husband works for a publishing company so that he could work from home. He still works from home, so we decided to go to the Adirondacks because I can get a teaching job anywhere, and I taught at the public school here in town for a year. Then, I came to Northwood for one year to teach biology. It was a maternity leave job. As it turned out, the position became vacant after that year, so they reached out to me, and I continued working here. This is my 19^th year now.

My favorite cuisine is probably Indian food, but anything ethnic would do: Ethiopian, Korean, Chinese, or anything with many flavors. I do like spicy food also. I like to ride my mountain bike, cross-country ski, and canoe. My biggest hobby is my dog, who’s 16 now. I also like to read, cook and garden, so there’s a lot of them. My favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. It might be an older person kind of movie. I don’t know if it would resonate with a younger person, but it’s an excellent book.

One of the things people might not know about me is that I spent over a decade as a high-level rock climber. That was my sport; we, my husband and I, climbed all over the country, and I loved it. It was only when I got into teaching that I started running out of time for it. I don’t do it at all, mainly because I’ve hurt my feet doing it too much for so many years, but I’ve rock climbed all over the place.

My teaching philosophy is not that any student leaves my classroom remembering a detail. The number the bones in the body, etc.? Whatever. It’s that they have enjoyed the class or learning the material enough that when they leave, they might want to look more into it. I don’t have any goal for all my students to become biologists.

It’s more if you’ve learned something in my class that you thought was interesting or fun, then maybe ten years from now, you’re reading the newspaper, or you hear something, and you’re like, oh, that’s cool, so you read or listen to it. It’s just about igniting an interest in science in the world around us and making kids enjoy learning and learn how their brains work.

I think any kid can do whatever they want now. Maybe you’re not going to be an NHL player. Perhaps you’re not going to be a Yale University doctor. But I think you can do anything if you are passionate about something. If you want to be a doctor, you can be a doctor. What are you willing to give to it, though? Academically, if you find what you’re passionate about, you can do anything you want, and it’s just a matter of putting in the time and work. I hope I can help kids learn that they can do anything they put their minds to if they’re willing to put in the time to do it and that they shouldn’t be stopped by thinking they’re not smart enough.

As told to Hung Nguyen ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Originally born and raised in Lake Placid, Andrea Farrell grew up alpine skiing for NYSEF and exploring the Adirondack Park. Attending Middlebury college, she went to school with plans to attend medical school and become a doctor. But she had a change of heart and sought a different educational path. Ms. Farrell ended up graduating with a degree in environmental science with a focus on conservation biology. Within this degree, she grew comfortable teaching both math and science.

After Middlebury, Ms. Farrell moved to Tanzania for almost a year. She worked for the African Wildlife Foundation, a group focused principally on improving wildlife and the environment in Africa. Farrell returned to Lake Placid not intending to stay but got a job as a long-term substitute at the local public school. Shortly after, she worked full-time at another local private school, National Sports Academy or NSA. The school closed a few years later when Farrell taught a Northwood for one year.

Ms. Farrell and her husband Mike have three children: Charlie is 9, Peter is 7, and Katie is 5. Farrell returned to Northwood this fall after a nine-year hiatus from teaching when she raised her family and tutored local children in math. Now that her kids have grown a little older, Farrell is ready to get back into teaching.

Ms. Farrell teaches two sections of pre-calculus and is enjoying being back. She says the culture feels comfortable and familiar. She is getting to know the school again, as it has changed a lot since she last taught, and she hopes to continue working here for a long time.

She enjoys spending time in the region in her free time because her family is rooted here. She likes to run, swim, bike, and hike. She grew up skiing for NYSEF, so she spends her winter weekends on the slopes and at Mount VanHovenberg. She loves to travel domestically with her family. They have been all over the country. During the school’s January break, she plans to take her family to Costa Rica and explore and hopes to bring them back to Tanzini to reexplore her old home.

As told to Maisie Crane ’23. Photo provided.

I am a first-year senior from North Falmouth, MA. I found out about Northwood through my hockey advisor, who recommended it. I decided to come to Northwood to pursue hockey and be the best player I can be. Next year, I plan to PG at Northwood and hopefully, after that I will find a junior team to play for.

I aim to play hockey as long as I can and use it to help me get into a good school. In college, I would like to do something in history or English. History is my favorite class; I think it’s the most interesting. I like watching Family Guy or playing Xbox with my friends in my free time.

So far, I think Northwood is a lot of fun. I’m surrounded by a lot of like-minded people who drive me to push further and drive myself to work harder, and see how far I can take hockey. I like the people at Northwood, and it is starting to feel like my home away from home.

As told to Maegan Byrne ’24. Photo by Michael Aldridge.

I am a second-year senior from Manlius, NY, near Syracuse. I came to Northwood in my junior year to play hockey. Coach Cassidy reached out to me about coming to Northwood. I had already heard about Northwoods’ program through a teammate Connor Santay ’22 who went here. I wanted to go to Northwood because I liked the location and had heard good things about the hockey program.

In the future, I hope to keep playing hockey at a high level. After I graduate, I plan on playing juniors and hopefully playing D1 hockey for college. I haven’t fully figured out what I want to do down the road. If I could go professional, I would love that, but I’m not sure if that will happen.

Most of my time is occupied by hockey, whether that means playing, watching, or training for hockey. When I’m home, I like to hang out with my friends or go fishing. I fish a lot during my free time in the summer. Another thing I do while home is train or play hockey.

I think Northwood is a really awesome place. Both my years here have been really great groups of people and a great program.

As told to Maegan Byrne ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Growing up, I had to move a lot for my dad’s work. I lived in Germany, Canada, and around the United States. Raleigh, North Carolina, is my place to be, but I have enjoyed the experiences of living around the country and the world. I chose Northwood for a couple of reasons. My dad had great recommendations for the school, some of my family lives close by in northern New York, and I have also had family members attend the school in the past. I found a deep sense of home within the Northwood community, especially with my teammates. I have made lifelong friendships with most of the guys on my hockey team and throughout the school.

Looking up to my dad, I have found a love for hockey growing up so close to the sport. I appreciate all the relationships I have built from hockey; it is something I will always cherish. It is my number one focus from fall to spring, and I can’t get enough of it. In the spring, however, I love playing golf, especially finding serenity on the course. I enjoy spending time with the people close to me, like my friends and family.

I always look forward to sunny days on Lake Gaston during the summer. Near my home in Raleigh, we have a lake house where I spend most of my summer days on the water jet skiing, boating, and tubing. It is a place I hold close to my heart.

I’m looking forward to a great senior year ahead of me. I hope to continue my hockey career in juniors next year.

As told to Jackson Smith ’23. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.