The Making of a Northwood Family

The Donatellos

Ask the Donatellos about highlights from their years at Northwood and watch them light up in unison as they mention three words: “being dorm parents.” Athletic Trainer Andy (or Donny as most of you know him) has been a fixture on campus since 1996 and Carrie, who recently returned to Northwood to run the school store, lived in the faculty apartment on third floor West for nearly a decade.

“Being a dorm parent allows for a different type of interaction with the residents on your hall. It was an incredible experience,” says Carrie. “We experienced our first two years as dorm parents without having children ourselves … which really impacted me particularly. I was driven to be a mom and I really took on these kids as a mom — baking brownies and walking them down the hall during study hall. It impacted them as much as it impacted me.”

“We fell in love with this place immediately,” Donny says reflecting on their Northwood arrival all those years ago. “And being a dorm parent was…” he trails off not quite finding the words. “I miss it,” he concludes, which speaks volumes in itself.

Once the Dontatello brood began to grow with Sara ’18, Haley ’21, and Drew ’25, Carrie felt that the kids on their hall “became big brothers (we had a boys’ hall all the years we were there) to our kids.” Donny adds, “All three of our kids were raised at Northwood; they were dorm “rats.” We loved it; raising our kids at the school was a really unique experience.”

On what makes Northwood such a special place, “That’s easy,” Carrie replies, “The small, tight-knit community. The overall feeling is that you belong, and that the people you work with and interact with daily are like family members.” Donny agrees and continues, “Northwood does a great job preparing kids for the next step. Human interactions are one of our super strong points. The ability for a young adult to have a meaningful, intelligent conversation with an adult is a huge bonus of being a part of a school like ours.” Carrie, who also works with Leigh Riffle to plan student activities, says, “Private school can have a deeper impact through our daily routines, in its innate shape, you cannot create that family environment any other way.”

When asked what unique qualities keep them at Northwood, their answer is relationships and the impact their work has on others. “In what other environment could one work where you significantly impact a teenager’s development? Being able to be a positive figure in their daily life is so incredibly rewarding,” says Carrie. Andy jumps in, “Whether students know it right now or not, the faculty and staff at Northwood will have a lasting impact on them. I agree with Carrie 100%, but have to add that the vacations are lovely, too! Seriously though, I love the relationships with faculty. I love the day-to-day, walking around making kids smile, watching kids learn.”

The Donatellos have witnessed big changes over the years with the additions of the Learning Center, the high-level soccer program, the Hub on Main Street and the elevated academic offerings and say, “All of these have had a significantly positive impact on the school and

Lasting Impressions:

“I thought the Donatellos were so cool and young and fun, and I always looked up to Carrie. I’ve wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember, and she was such a great role model. I became very close to the family, always volunteering to babysit. I went to Florida with them over spring break one year and stayed with them the summer after graduation.

I love that I got to see their family grow and now they’re watching my family grow. It’s come full circle.

community.” They want to assure alums out there that, the “intimate, homey feel of the school remains. Of course, our outstanding core athletic offerings of hockey and skiing are still strong, while the overall feeling of home makes me feel at ease being here. Knowing that many people care for you and are your true friends and family is calming,” says Carrie. Speaking about other highlights of the school year, Donny jokes that “the imaginative senior pranks have always been great to see.” Carrie shares that the annual Northwood holiday celebration is one of her favorite parts of the year. But on a serious note, Donny, who organizes the successful blood drive each spring, is incredibly proud of our community coming together for this critical cause. He also says that, “Commencement is always a lasting memory for me. When you’ve spent four-plus years with some students in such a close-knit environment, it’s sad to see them leave. I truly get emotional when I have to say goodbye, and I genuinely mean it when I say, ‘Come back often.’”

(We also know that he genuinely means it when he says, “ICE IT!” In addition to his role as Athletic Trainer, Donny is content creator for @northwoodathletics on Facebook and Instagram. Follow these channels to keep up to date on all the action.)

It’s incredible that they’ve been at Northwood so long. They are icons there. Everyone has stories about them and loves them. Andy’s like the next generation of Northwood legends.”

“On move-in day, Andy and Carrie noticed my mother was very nervous and they immediately jumped in. From then on, we all just hit it off. I was a homebody kid and the Donatellos brought me in for family meals and we became closer and closer. I ate A LOT of meals with them.

Our families just really got along, bonding first over being Italian. Carrie is just a little older than my sister, and our families were very similar in a lot of ways. This blossomed into a lifelong friendship.

Their time at Northwood is a real testament to their dedication to the students and families of Northwood.”

— RUSTY SCURTO ’00