For most of his life, Tommy Yang ’26 assumed hockey would decide the timeline.

The sport had shaped nearly everything: early mornings, long drives, moving away from home, and years spent chasing the possibility of Division I hockey. By the start of his senior year at Nichols, Yang fully expected the next step to be junior hockey — postponing college, continuing his development, and hoping to eventually land on a Division I roster.

It was a realistic path. Yang had opportunities in Tier II juniors, support from coaches and advisors, and the work ethic to continue climbing. But as the season ended and the future became more concrete, so did the questions surrounding it.

What exactly was he chasing? And what would life look like once hockey no longer dictated every decision?

Those questions forced Yang into the hardest choice of his young life, and perhaps, the most important one.

This fall, Yang will attend Brown University after also earning admission to Cornell University and Johns Hopkins University’s highly selective Biomedical Engineering program. Instead of extending his hockey journey for several more years, he chose to step toward something less certain but ultimately more exciting to him: intellectual exploration.

That realization crystallized during a spring visit to Brown.

Yang attended admitted students events, sat in on classes with his older brother — a current Brown student — and spent time simply observing campus life. One applied mathematics lecture especially stuck with him: a professor passionately discussing drone optimization problems for the Navy.

Brown’s famous Open Curriculum ultimately became one of the defining factors in his decision. After years of structure and routine through elite athletics, Yang was drawn to a place that emphasized curiosity, flexibility, and self-direction.

For Yang, the decision was never about walking away from ambition. It was about redefining it.

At Nichols, he built much of his identity through hockey. A captain for the Vikings, Yang embraced the demanding schedule that came with balancing elite athletics and rigorous academics. During the season, most days began before sunrise with lifts or practices, followed by a full day of classes.

That mindset became foundational far beyond the rink.

Yang emerged as a leader across campus, including through Nichols’ Writing Center, where he spent hours helping peers revise essays and develop confidence in their writing. Encouraged by faculty mentor Dr. Maritime to join as an underclassman, Yang quickly realized the role allowed him to impact students in a different way.

That balance of being an athlete, scholar, and mentor became central to his Nichols experience.

Faculty members such as Dr. Maritime and computer science teacher Mr. DeGroat helped Yang discover interests that now shape his future plans. What began as an introductory computer science course he reluctantly took at his mother’s suggestion evolved into one of his strongest academic passions. This year, he chose to take advanced Data Structures coursework while exploring interests in applied mathematics, biology, and research.

Nichols, Yang says, gave him both the confidence and the habits needed to succeed at a place like Brown.

That independence extended well beyond the classroom. After leaving home to pursue hockey, Yang learned how to manage demanding schedules, navigate unfamiliar environments, and create a sense of belonging far from his hometown of Ithaca, New York.

Now, as graduation approaches, Yang knows hockey will always remain part of who he is. Brown’s location in one of the country’s strongest hockey regions — with close proximity to Boston and to ECAC and Hockey East collegiate competition — ensures the sport will remain nearby. So will many of the friendships and lessons formed through the game.

But for the first time in years, hockey will no longer define the entire path ahead.

Instead, Yang will arrive in Providence with something else: options.

And after years spent pursuing one narrow goal with relentless focus, he realized the greatest opportunity might be giving himself permission to pursue more than one future.