Andrew Cole

At a lot of schools, people tend to be pigeonholed based on what they do. They’re a jock or a computer geek or whatever, and somehow that’s all they can be. It’s not like that at NMH. Nobody judges you, and there aren’t preconceived ideas of what you should be. You can be whoever you want to be, even if that’s a lot of things.

 

For example, I sing in Hogappella, an auditioned a cappella group. It’s small—just 12 guys— and student-run too, so it’s a lot of fun. We’re even making a CD. We serenaded people on Valentine’s Day to raise money for it. I love doing this because everyone in the group has a lot of musical talent and although there is a leader, there are lots of solo opportunities and we all work together.

 

I also play soccer and lacrosse. In fact, I went to lacrosse camp in Florida last spring. It was for any aspiring player, not just varsity, so even younger guys got to go, play a lot, and scrimmage at night against other schools. It was great getting to know the upperclassmen; I’ve really learned a lot from them.

 

At NMH, you’re not just a jock, or a musician. You’re a person. And that lets freshmen hang with seniors and dancers with math geniuses. We all determine our own choices here. That opens your world up a lot. And it sure gives you more interesting friends.