I want to go to business or law school after college. I decided to go to Northwood because of the hockey program. I am going to miss being around my teammates all the time, living in the dorms, and the community as a whole. Going in, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like Northwood because it’s such a small school and I’m a big city kid. At this point, I miss Northwood a ton and wish I could go back. I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to attend and hope my younger brother gets the chance to go as well.

– As told to Olivia Paul ’21

I am from Tokyo, Japan, and my last name is a palindrome. I am a “four-year survivor.” I have been playing hockey and robotics for four years. In the springtime, I have been doing whitewater kayaking for three years and, if not for COVID-19, I would have done it for the fourth time.

I was considering two schools to attend. Compared to the other school, Northwood was focused both on academics and athletics, so I chose to go to Northwood.  The tight connection between students and that of teachers was something I have never seen before in any of my previous schools. Northwood’s unique aspect of community is still preserved to this day and it should be something that should remain.

I had a great time at Northwood. Every day was busy. It gave me a chance to change the way I approach matters. The fact that Northwood is situated in the middle of the Adirondacks is the best part in my opinion. The nature surrounding Lake Placid is something I can never see in Tokyo.

It is a shame that the completion of the Innovation Hub was delayed. The Hub is something I came to appreciate after spending a lot of time there in the winter and early spring.

– As told to Hadley Swedlund ‘20

During my junior year, about a week into the school year, I had a freshman come up to me and say, “I just want to thank you, Marty. You’ve made this place feel like my home and we’ve only been here for a week. I love it here”

I’m from Lake George, New York,  but I also live in New York City for some parts of the year. I’ve been at Northwood for four years. I was a member of the Ski Team at Northwood doing Alpine Ski Racing. I also played lacrosse. I was a member of the legendary cheese club for a couple of years.  I chose Northwood because all three of my siblings went to Northwood before me and it was just natural for me to follow their paths.  I was unsure about Northwood going into freshman year. Leaving my old school and friends behind was a big step for me. I now think of Northwood as my home. After just a couple weeks of being there during freshman year, I loved the place and the people.  I have never been more glad than how glad I am that I decided to go to Northwood School. It is and always will be my home.

– As told to Hadley Swedlund ‘20

My plans after Northwood are big. I want to go to a top school and play soccer at the highest level. I want to continue growing as a soccer player and a student. After college, my dream is to become a professional player in the sport I love the most.

But for now, I’m thinking about returning to Northwood for a PG year. I was planning on going to college because I had a couple of good offers. But after discussing with my coach, I’ve decided that it would be nice to do a PG. I think I’m still young for college. So after another year at Northwood, I hope I’ll be more mature and have more college choices.

I come from Medellín, Colombia. Back in my country, I reached a point where I had to choose between soccer and academics. But Northwood helped me do both of them at a high level. When I leave Northwood, I’ll miss the people and my teammates the most. I will see a lot of people after I graduating from Northwood, but I don’t think I’ll be able to meet people as amazing as them ever again. At Northwood, I was able to meet people from all over the world and learn about their cultures and languages. Another thing I like about Northwood is that it allows me to fully focus on my dream without any distractions. The growth that I’ve felt within myself has been incredible, and I value it very much.

The Northwood experience is always going to be in my heart. I’ll always remember it with a lot of joy.

– As told to Olivia Paul ’21

I am from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I am 18 years old and I play soccer. After Northwood, I plan to attend North Carolina State and major in Business with a concentration in Finance. I decided to attend Northwood in order to pursue collegiate soccer. What I will miss about Northwood will be the friendships that I made and the people that I have met. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Northwood.

– As told to Olivia Paul ’21

My full name is Marcelo Antonio Suarez Rojas, and I am from Chile. I play soccer, and next year I will attend the University of California San Diego as an undecided major. My Northwood experience was a nice way to grow and challenge myself as I aimed for a college scholarship. I liked Northwood a lot. I think Lake Placid will always be an important part of my history. The soccer was really good and I made a lot of connections with people from around the world.

– As told to Olivia Paul ’21

I only lived a year in my native country of Argentina, incredible right?! I chose to study at Northwood because this amazing school gives students the opportunity to do sports and academics at a high level.

In my opinion, the best of this special place is the people. I had the opportunity to meet students all around the world and learn from their culture. My favorite hobbies are watching Netflix, playing soccer, spending time with my friends, and reading.

Despite not knowing for sure what I am going to do next year, due to the virus, I think I will change my plans. But for now, I will try to study in the US, my ultimate goals and dreams are to compete in high-level soccer leagues, travel, and live on a beach.

I am also someone who travels a lot and every year my family, some friends and I go to Brazil. There we play beach soccer, Spikeball, surf and we learn some Portuguese. It’s by far the best type of trip I have ever experienced. Also, amongst the best trips and moments of my life, there is one trip/tournament that I made while at Northwood: The IMG Cup. I really enjoy spending time with my teammates and living the experience of winning a cup together.

– As told to Bernardo Simões

I am Lucas (left) and this guy by my side is my twin brother. I am from Mexico and I chose to study at Northwood because I got recruited to play on the soccer team. What I really love about this school and this community are the friendships I was able to build over my two years here. Apart from soccer, my favorite hobby is to travel and one of my favorite trips was my Northwood LEAP Trip to Tanzania last year, because I had the chance to embrace in-depth a totally different country. My plan for next year is to attend college at Colgate University.

I am Mateo (right), and although I was born and raised in Mexico, I am also a Spanish citizen. I chose Northwood because I felt it was the right place for me to keep bettering my athletic abilities, working towards my goals, and growing as a person. What I like the most about Northwood is the close friendships you are able to make with the faculty. It is something which I had not experienced before and was certainly not possible at my old school. Besides playing soccer, what I love to do most is to travel, spend time with my family and friends, and play around with my dogs. My two main goals are to play for Club America, my boyhood club, and captain the Mexican national team at a World Cup. The two best experiences I can think of recently are playing at the Dallas Cup last year and going on the LEAP trip to Tanzania. I was able to make memories that will last a lifetime on both trips. Next year I will be playing soccer and studying at Cornell University!

– As told to Bernardo Simões