Avery Novia ’24 (right) climbing in Red Rocks Nevada, in November 2023. Photo provided.

Connecticut native Avery Novia ’24 is part of the Northwood Outing Club (NOC), which consists of rock-climbing paddling, ice climbing, skiing, and whitewater kayaking. Avery is a huge fan of rock climbing and all things outdoors.

These interests led Novia to her Peak Pathway, which will culminate in her earning her Single Pitch Instructor certification. She hopes this project will help her gain admission to her dream college in Oregon, eventually leading to her adventure education degree. It will also help her with basic guiding skills and knowledge.

This is a fantastic way for Avery to advance her knowledge and skills while being outdoors. Being in the outdoors brings her a sense of peace while also being able to challenge her physically and mentally. “I love the outdoors, and I want to share this passion with others,” Novia said.

She is a big proponent of self-directed learning opportunities like Peak Pathway. “I believe everybody deserves to get these experiences no matter who they are.” Avery also says that after getting her SPI certification, she wants to take a similar career path as NOC director Bobby O’Connor or to just be a part of the outdoor guiding industry.

Either way, Avery wants to have a job in the great outdoors and pursue all that makes life worth living.

I came to Northwood this year because I wanted to become an independent young man who can bring something new to modern society. I also want to improve my hockey skills to pursue my dreams in college.

My favorite part about Northwood is the community. Everyone is like a big family, and we share the same space for a long period of time. This special place will teach you to appreciate the people you have around you and that you are never alone in whatever you are going through.

I enjoy doing photography and videography to capture bright moments of athletics and other types of events. One interesting thing about me is that whatever I do, I will finish it no matter what.

As told to Ahmed Elganainy ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

I’m from two places, kind of: Montreal and Moscow. I’ve live mostly in Montreal. I came to Northwood in 2022, and after graduation I want to go play junior hockey. My favorite part about Northwood is probably the discipline, character and organization it can build in you.

Apart from hockey, I like to do schemes with my brother from Montreal. An interesting thing about me is that I speak 3 languages: English, Russian, and French.

As told to Ahmed Elganainy ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

I’ve always played soccer. I started at 4, 5 years old. I started out as a midfielder, actually. I hated it. Sami Hyypia, the captain of Liverpool’s Champions League-winning team, was my neighbor. I was good friends with his son. He came to the Bayer Leverkusen team which is why I support Leverkusen. That’s kind of how I got into soccer; he got me into playing.

My mom moved to the US five or six years ago. I stayed with my dad in Germany. I never really considered coming to Northwood, but my mom heard about this school through Cara Dempsey. She’s good friends with my younger sister. So, we considered it, and in the end, I said, “Yeah, let’s do it.” I’m a very independent person, so I enjoy my freedom here. So I don’t really get homesick a lot or anything.

I love to program games. I’m really good at building computers; I’m into engineering. Computer science and computer game design interest me. It is what I want to study at university.

The Puerto Rico soccer trip was crazy. That’s definitely the best moment I’ve had here at Northwood. It was one of the best two weeks I’ve ever had. Just two weeks of playing soccer and relaxing at the beach. We played 6 games, one every day. Everything was perfect. Single bed, view from my window, the food was great. It was beautiful, everything, absolutely perfect.

My advice to younger students: if you’re struggling living away from home, just know the first few weeks will be the hardest. After a while, you get used to it. So, just try to embrace this opportunity. Being social is the most important thing. Just try to get to know people. Enjoy the time here. Not everyone can have what we are doing here at Northwood. This is a privilege, not everyone gets this chance. So just make the best of it and use it.

As told to Gavin Kruger ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

 

I started to take soccer seriously at 14. Before that, I was into competitive Basketball. I also played competitive flag football. Soccer didn’t become my main sport until I was 14 or 15.

Growing up in Montreal, hockey has always been a part of my life. Since coming to Northwood, I’ve kind of stopped watching. But whenever the Habs are playing well, it’s always fun to watch a game here and there. Historically, my favorite player has been Gallagher.

I was at a soccer showcase in Montreal, and Coach Moodey came for a day. He was looking for goalkeepers, and he found me. I was looking at different soccer programs to keep me playing soccer, because it becomes hard to play at a certain level in Quebec. So it ended up being just a great coincidence.

Middlebury College became my dream school. I mean, it was great. The day I committed to Middlebury was a little crazy. I was on calls with a couple of schools throughout the day. Once it was over, it felt amazing. I couldn’t be happier about the result.

Last year’s trip to Puerto Rico. It was very special. It was really, really fun. We were down for 10 days during the FECU games. And yeah, just played some games and went to the beach. It was amazing.

My advice to younger students: Never get caught up in your own head. Because you know, sports can become either stressful or a source of relief from stress. And I’ve had it both ways. It’s so much better when it’s a way of, you know, letting go of stuff. So I’d say, just remember, remember why you started playing. 

As told to Gavin Kruger ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

I am a first year from Schenectady, New York. I had first heard about Northwood through a former student, and quickly started the recruitment process. Eventually everything worked out, and I was excited to start a new chapter of my life.

I was 5 years old when I got into hockey but started playing as a goalie at 7. Back when I was playing youth hockey there was a rule that you could only play goalie for a week a year all the way until squirts. Growing up and living just five minutes away from Union College, I went to a lot of their games. This was at a time when they were an exciting team to watch, and it definitely got me into the sport.

Hockey is a big part of the culture here, and the team bonding I experienced as a new student made the transition easy.” On my first day on campus, I met Ritter Coombs and Owen Flynn and thought they were nutjobs. But seeing them every day and becoming buddies with them was a great way to start my Northwood experience.

A moment that will stick with me is hiking up Cobble as a team and having that bonding experience early on while also experiencing a view of the Adirondacks is not something everyone gets to do.

Everyone has their own thing. When you get to know me, you’ll see I enjoy doing puzzles: your New York Times, Wordles, Crosswords puzzles or even jigsaw puzzles. Journaling has also become a routine in my everyday life. I find myself coming across a quote and writing it down and it’s a way for me to continue to grow as a person.

I’m grateful for my goalie coach Brian McDonald. He’s been with me since an early age, and he made hockey fun and a place where I can get away from the world. Working with him every day in the summer we both got to know one another. On and off the ice having a mentor and a father figure is something special.

As told to Halle Mules ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

I am a third year from Danbury England. I first heard of Northwood from two former students, and I was quickly interested in what Northwood had to offer compared to other schools.

I started playing hockey when I was 5 years old. I used to go to public skate with my dad. One day I signed up for an intro to hockey tryout and went from there. I instantly grew a passion for the sport and knew it was something I wanted to continue. Northwood has given me the opportunities to grow as a person and a student-athlete. A moment that will stick with me is being able to play in my first game with the Prep team. Starting on the high school team my first year, then varsity my second, I always wanted to play on the prep team.

I am extremely grateful for Coach Felhaber and Coach Miller who have had the most impact on my experience here. They have been with me every step of the way and put a smile on my face every day; I owe it to them for assisting me with my development over the past three years.

Fitness is a big part of my life and I enjoy helping others through this. I have successfully opened a fitness account on Instagram and started the summer at 5,000 followers and am now at 25k. I have accomplished a lot of self-set goals for myself and am looking forward to continuing this.

After graduation, I intend to play junior hockey and continue to develop my online fitness programs to eventually open my own gym. I will miss the memories and friendships I have made, particularly as an international student. It will be different not seeing those people every day, but hopefully we will stay in touch.

As told to Halle Mules. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

If I didn’t play soccer, I believe I would be a famous rapper. I love music, specifically Rod Wave, and I spend most of my time off the field vibing to tunes. I grew up in Southampton, Bermuda with my older brother Ahria. Bermuda is one of the world’s smallest countries which means I wasn’t able to experience diverse cultures before coming to Northwood. Being on a small island taught me a lot, I was forced to help my parents at home, which made me more independent. I love Bermuda and will always have pride in being Bermudian. My brother left to attend Berkshire School in Massachusetts when I was only 8. Ever since then, I have aspired to follow in his footsteps and surpass him in his achievements. My brother graduated from Dartmouth with flying colors and is now doing his master’s at Northeastern. He is a role model for me and has inspired me to be a better version of myself. Coach Moodey, who coached my brother at Berkshire, recruited me to come to Northwood.

I came to Northwood as a 16-year-old boy with no purpose. All I cared about was scoring goals and playing soccer. The influence of others and the adversity I have faced throughout my Northwood life have transformed me into a new man. I truly believe that if my 16-year-old self met me today, he wouldn’t believe it. The change in my character is the most valuable thing that has happened to me at Northwood. On top of my change, I am grateful for the people I have met. Throughout my journey, I have met people who are now brothers from all over the world. Northwood has given me the opportunity to experience the diversity I wasn’t able to experience in Bermuda.

Next year, I will be attending Syracuse University to play for the Division 1 national champions. This achievement is special to me and my family. I feel like all the hard work I have put in has finally paid off, and I can’t wait for the future. My dream is to become a professional soccer player and this achievement gets me one step closer.

I still have a lot to do, and I am aware of that. Right now, my focus is on making Northwood a better place before I leave. These last months will end my long journey that has changed my life. I am optimistic about the end of my Northwood journey, and I am cherishing every moment before it ends. I will make this school year the best one I have had yet.

As told to Mitchell Baker ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

My favorite food is sushi. I absolutely love it and would travel hours to get some high-quality sushi. Over the summer I won the national championship in football! People don’t know that I am a great football player and big-time sushi eater. I grew up near Quebec City in a small town. Skiing has always been a major part of my life and I am obsessed with it. I wanted to take my skiing to another level, so I left my hometown and joined a high-level ski team 2 hours away from my house. My family moved with me and supported my passion. My experience on that ski team went very well, which led me and my family to make the decision to come to Northwood. I came to Northwood as a junior to pursue my passion for skiing and, hopefully, one day commit to a Division 1 ski program. My long-term goal is to ski at the Olympics and finding the right college will take me closer to my dream.

My Northwood experience has been amazing so far. I have made friends with people that I will be friends with for the rest of my life. I have had my highs and lows, which have altered my Northwood experience for the better and worse. Despite the negatives, I have grown as a person a lot. Even my parents agree I have grown a lot, which makes me proud.

I have one more year at Northwood which means I have time to make an impact. My main goal is to work on the theme of unity and help the Northwood community in any way possible. The first thing I want to do is start a 5 player Flag Football League. 3 guys and 2 girls per team. I am going to randomize the teams which will intergrade skiers, soccer players, hockey players, and independents. I am really excited about this league, and I am excited to make Northwood a better place.

As told to Mitchell Baker ’25. Photo provided.