Jerseys with a lucky number, secret sister gift bag surprises in the middle of AP Lit and team pictures to look back on fondly in glossy yearbooks—these are the hallmarks of high school sports.
But for many athletes, the sports journey doesn’t end at graduation. Here are some alumni who have carried the lessons learned at Northwood into collegiate careers:
Kevin Sohn (Class of 2023), Harvard University, fencing
Despite fencing being an individual sport, Sohn has found an incredible sense of community with the Harvard fencing team.
“Getting to know the freshmen on our team and watching them adjust to the collegiate competitive scene has been really rewarding,” Sohn said. “Reconnecting with my teammates at our first meet this year in San Diego, I was able to fight alongside them against other schools and it reminded me how team-oriented collegiate sports are.”
Sohn has navigated the demanding commitment of collegiate athletics while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
“I would advise seniors hoping to play collegiately to determine what kind of work-life balance you have concerning your sport,” Sohn said. “College training regimens can be very different than in high school, and it’s important to have a good idea of how you want to tackle that early on.”
Yoshi Elseifi (Class of 2024), University of California, Riverside, water polo
As a freshman with RCC Aquatics, Elseifi helped lead the team to its second consecutive Orange Empire Conference Championship as an offensive player, building on the leadership skills she developed as MVP and team captain of Northwood’s water polo team. This transition has deepened her understanding of the importance of strong team culture in achieving success.
“College sports is very different from high school in that you meet people from everywhere,” Elseifi said. “The friendships and work ethic you gain are so different.”
Despite her successful season thus far, Elseifi has still faced ups and downs, and believes that perseverance is key in college athletics.
“For seniors looking to commit, I would say keep your head up if you feel like you can’t achieve your goal,” Elseifi said. “You can always just keep pushing, because there is always success to your hard work.”
Addison Cadena (Class of 2023), California State University, East Bay, swimming
Specializing in breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley events, Cadena chose to commit to CSUEB for its supportive environment for student-athletes.
“Swimming with CSUEB was one of the best choices I have ever made,” Cadena said. “You become really close with your teammates so they become family to you.”
With two Northwood swimmers committing to collegiate athletics next year, Cadena hopes they will not only remain dedicated to their sport but diligent with academics.
“College athletics has been a bit of a change compared to Northwood,” Cadena said. “There are a lot more hours I have to cover for practice, and I’m with my teammates for almost the whole day.”
Cadena credits her experience as a student-athlete at Northwood for teaching her the importance of discipline and commitment.
“I feel like Northwood prepared me for having the mindset of always wanting to get better, which has helped me work hard in college,” Cadena said. “NHS taught me to put my 101% effort into everything I do, and it’s really paid off.”
