“My favorite meal? 
This is going to be pretty controversial. Some people hate it. Some people love it. I like the classic chicken sandwich, the best meal. I know most people think we have too much chicken, but when I see the chicken sandwich, I know it’s gonna be a great day.

“I started ski jumping when I was 10 or 11. At first, I wasn’t very committed to it, and I split my time between skiing, soccer, and mountain biking. Then one day, one of my coaches told me about the promise I had in the sport, and I decided to start focusing on it and train year-round. I’d say that it worked out pretty well.

“I first heard about Northwood through teammate Jack Kroll, who was already ski jumping there at the time, and I saw him get very good, very quick, so I knew I needed to look into it to continue my progression. This is now my second year in Northwood, and it has helped me become a better ski jumper.

“Last year, I qualified for Junior Worlds and then at Junior Worlds, I was able to get 21st and individual for U20 and was part of the first-ever US men’s team event podium at Junior Worlds. For people my age, I placed second in the event. Events like this are made possible by being here. It’s the balance Northwood has between athletics and academics that has helped me the most. I am a local athlete and previously attended the Lake Placid Public School, and when I had to travel to Europe to train or compete for a week or two at a time, they wouldn’t have allowed it, whereas Northwood is very accommodating. This is one of the things I am going to miss most, the structure of the days at Northwood and how much training we get.”

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

“My favorite thing to do in Lake Placid on weekends is walk into town and eat at Players with my friends. The food is always good, and it’s always a good time. I also like to go to the movies, take a walk around the lake, and go to the arcade. During my free time on a school day, I usually study, rest, stretch, or train.

“I am a four-year senior on the soccer team. I live in Hong Kong, so the travel day to Northwood is always long. I’ve had so many great times with my friends here, from going into town on soccer trips.

“During breaks, I either go home to Hong Kong or go with my family to Vancouver. My family has had a house in Vancouver for a while, so we go there and meet up with family friends. After that, we usually drive up to Whistler and ski. My favorite part of Whistler is the extremely high gondola and trails. When I’m home in Hong Kong, I like to go out with my friends and train. Sometimes we go to the beach for a night swim, which is fun.

“Something a lot of people wouldn’t know about me is that I used to play rugby and was on a swimming team. I think both helped me develop good morals as I played them when I was younger.

“I hope to leave behind a good image at Northwood and to set an example to the underclassmen. Northwood has taught me that it takes hard work and dedication to succeed at whatever you’re doing, but it’s also important to keep a good balance between schoolwork, soccer, and social life.”

As told to Yosef Spear ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“Being here at Northwood is different because I am surrounded by everyone who has the same goal as me, so it really helps push me.

“My time at Northwood has been amazing. I love all of the faculty, and my coaches and I look forward to coming back and getting right into skiing!

“I am most looking forward to the race season and having that time of grind to be the best that I can be and the team to do the best. I love spending all my time with my girls.

“The most difficult thing about being here is being away from my home, family, and friends, which I had been used to seeing and being around every day for my whole life.

“So far, my favorite memory of Northwood has been the Chile camp with all of the skiers. It was a really great camp with great training, and it was a really great opportunity to get to know everyone.”

As told to Lucas Smith ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“Coming into Freshmen year, I had a lot of hope for these next 4 years at Northwood. Now that I am a senior at Northwood, I feel I did pretty well, getting good grades, my pilot’s license, and having a good time skiing, as well as making many friends along the way.

“I am from Saratoga Springs, NY, and living off campus in Lake Placid. The switch from boarding student to day student went well, and my favorite part about it is that I can drive anywhere. It’s cool to be anywhere and have more freedom than a boarding student does.

“I was able to experience a lot of cool trips around the world, including Japan, and others. I learned about many new cultures and became friends with people all over the world. As well, I feel I use all of Northwood School’s core values.

“Now being a senior, I am starting to apply to many colleges, including the Air Force Academy, Montana State University, and Utah State University.

“Leaving high school this year, I will be a little nervous but also excited to see what comes next.”

As told to Nate Benjamin ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my uncle, Mike Hurlbut ‘85, and sister Grace Hurlbut ‘25. Being so close to home, Northwood has always seemed like a great option for school and hockey, so I wanted to give it a try and see what it’s all about.

“The faculty and coaches at Northwood are key role models who will go above and beyond for you, so surrounding myself with people like that has been crucial to my success in academics and athletics. My teammates have had such a profound impact on me, and I know that when I leave Northwood, I will be leaving with lifelong friends and brothers.

“My favorite Northwood experience to date is Costa Rica LEAP. I also got a souvenir, a Costa Rica beach ball! We had such a great group, and we made so many memories that we still talk about this year. Getting to experience and learn about another culture while making new friends is something I truly value and will carry with me forever. My favorite hockey game so far at Northwood was against South Kent last year, when I played lights out, and we won big.

“To be honest, the best thing about Northwood, especially hockey, has to be the culture instilled in everyone from day one. The respect and accountability that is harped on has really made everyone so much better, and that is what I love about Northwood and its community. There is truly no other place like it, and I will be very sad when I have to leave. However, I plan to make the most of my time here and leave with as many friends and memories as possible. In the wise words of the great Theo Ghanime, ‘Who’s to say, huh?’”

As told to Andrew Sherland ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Welcome to Adam Sherman ’26 , Hunter Bridges ‘26, and Max Stracar’s ‘26 room. All three are seniors here at Northwood, and they have some experience living together. Adam and Hunter are longtime friends who grew up together in Saratoga. They met Max two years ago and previously lived in a billet house with each other. Max is from Syosset, New York.

Having three people in a room can definitely make it hard to keep the room neat. When I took this picture, though, they were packing for the upcoming weekend. It is usually cleaner here, with plenty of space to hang out. The boys bought Christmas lights and a Christmas tree to get into the holiday spirit.

These are their jerseys from the former team that they played on together.  These jerseys bring back many great memories for them from the last two years of playing and living together.

This is Hunter’s side of the room. He bought a carpet because it looks nice and because the floor can get cold in the morning. He added a bean bag so that friends would have a good spot to hang out. All three boys have gaming consoles. They like to play NHL with each other, but also enjoy gaming on their own and with friends from around school and back home.

Despite the messy room, the boys like to keep track of what’s to come for them. Whether that’s upcoming assignments, tests, trips home, meetings, hockey, etc. The board is empty in this picture because the week was over for them, and they wanted to have a clean board for next week.

We’re approaching the halfway point of the school year, and seniors are preparing to apply to colleges and universities—or are already finished applying. Everyone is excited to be in “the best grade.” Students are working hard and having fun during their last year at Northwood. Some four-year seniors shared their thoughts on their final months at school.

Slagel this year. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Slagel in 9th grade. Photo by Mr. Michael Adridge.

“I’ve spent these four years of my life in this place making friends, colleagues, and living in the Adirondacks as well,” said Jacob Slagel ’26. “Now, with college coming soon, everything is going to change as I move on to the next steps. But all I can do is make the most of the time I still have at Northwood,” Slagel added.

Spear this year. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Spear in 9th grade. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Yosef Spear also reflected on his time here. “Yeah, this year is bittersweet—with huge leaps forward, but also having to leave all the great moments and memories from these past four years.”

As they reminisce about their time at Northwood, seniors are still focused on their academics. Slagel added, “I still do all my work and haven’t missed any classes yet. But I mean sometimes, like, let’s say we’re on the bus, I do like claiming that single seat.” This shows that senior year is both academically focused and a time to enjoy small traditions before graduation.

Another question seniors felt strongly about was their favorite teachers. While some said they liked all their teachers, the majority agreed that Mr. LeBlanc is their favorite. He is known as an excellent teacher, and I agree with that sentiment as a four-year senior myself.

The senior class has already been through more than three months of the school year, which feels surreal. Soon, we will be ringing the bell and saying our farewells to Northwood for the last time.

As Thanksgiving Break approaches, the excitement of going home is evident in many students around campus. Many students have unique family traditions and ways of celebrating the holiday.

“I am going home for Thanksgiving Break!” said senior Mark Tverskoy. Tverskoy is from Ivanovo, Russia, and will be taking a long trip home for the holiday. He is flying out of Boston, connecting in Turkey, and then making a final stop in Moscow. Although he is traveling home, Tverskoy noted that Thanksgiving is not traditionally celebrated in Russia. “In Russia, Thanksgiving is not celebrated by many people, but I do think that the idea of Thanksgiving is growing. Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday because I just love the idea of people celebrating how thankful they are for everything they have!”

Senior Hunter Bridges is heading home to Saratoga, New York, for the break. When asked about his Thanksgiving traditions, he said, “My entire family from my dad’s side goes to my grandparents’ house each year. I just really love spending time with my family members, and after being away from home for a while, it’s nice to catch up.” Bridges also shared his favorite Thanksgiving foods: “My aunt makes this really good sugar cookie cake every year, but my favorite food is the stuffing for sure.”

“I usually go over to my best friend’s house with my family,” said senior Henry Kress when asked about his plans for Thanksgiving. Kress is traveling home to California for the break and is excited for the warmer weather and the California sun. “My mom’s pumpkin pie is my favorite thing for sure—make sure to add the extra whipped cream. I also love the mac and cheese my friend’s mom makes.” He added, “It will just be so nice to go home and spend time with my friends and family, whom I haven’t seen in a while. I’m also excited to see my dog, Po.”