Double major mastery

2014 alum says her Notre Dame education set her up perfectly for college success in the classroom and on the court.

When Sarah LewAllen ('14) graduates from Michigan Technological University next May, she will finish with a double major in medical laboratory science and exercise science. She's also wrapping up four years as member of the Huskies' women's basketball team. But while LewAllen readily admits that college was a lot of work, especially as a student-athlete, she said attending high school at Notre Dame Prep had her prepared for anything MTU threw her way. 

"My transition to college was a breeze," she said. "As a collegiate student-athlete, my free time was limited, and we were often forced to miss weeks of class due to travel during our season. However, I was able to keep up with my coursework because of the knowledge and classroom skills I acquired during my time at Notre Dame."

She also said time management and diligent study habits developed at NDP were a big help as well. 

"Notre Dame’s rigorous academic curriculum really prepared me for college-level courses," she said. "The faculty at NDP is so good at developing their students to become critical thinkers and the opportunity to take AP and IB courses in high school helped me not only earn college credits before I got to Michigan Tech, it also was a good preview for the level and workload of college classes."  

As a basketball player at Michigan Tech, LewAllen said that her experience playing sports for the Fighting Irish also laid a great foundation for college athletics.

"The numerous opportunities to participate in sports at Notre Dame helped shape me into a better athlete and person," said LewAllen, who also will be pursuing a master of science degree next year at Michigan Tech. "Having the chance to be a captain of the basketball team at NDP gave me the experience to become a stronger team player, motivator and leader, which prepared me well for the challenges of collegiate sports." 

Keeping her community safe

Before heading back to MTU in Houghton, Michigan, in the fall, LewAllen hopes to be able to relax a bit — but only for a bit — because an internship with Oakland County's Health Division will keep her very much occupied.

"This summer I have an internship with OCHD and my primary focus will be on environmental public health," she said. "We are in charge of preparing and running all of the county water samples, including drinking water and water in all of the public pools and beaches. Primarily, we look for E. coli by culturing samples and using a qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) technique so that we can quickly close pools and beaches when necessary and keep our community safe."

She said she thinks the internship will be great experience for her as she looks to a future career. Her NDP experience also seems to figure in those career aspirations. 

"The confidence, knowledge and curiosity that I initially developed during my time at Notre Dame continues to drive my academic and future career aspirations," she said. "I hope to eventually become a laboratory director in a clinical or forensic lab, and conduct research to make clinical lab tests more efficient and accurate. I think my love for learning as well as perseverance in setting and achieving goals also stem from NDP, and I’m excited for any upcoming opportunities that will come my way as a result."

Senior season basketball memories

It appears that LewAllen is well-prepared for just about anything the future tosses her way. But regardless of what, when and where that future will take her, thoughts of Notre Dame Prep will not be far behind.

"A favorite memory from NDP was definitely my senior season of basketball," she said. "We had a pretty successful season and the camaraderie and closeness our team shared was unparalleled. In fact, our team still keeps in touch and we often reminisce about how much fun we had and how much we miss it! Also, the opportunity to be a team captain is something I personally will always cherish." 

She also holds dear the many teachers from Notre Dame who had a lasting impact on her, but one in particular made an especially strong impression. 

"I think Ms. [Jocelynn] Yaroch really fostered my love for biology and medical sciences,” she said. “Her classes are taught like most college classes I’ve had, and she demands excellence from her students. Academically, I couldn’t have been better prepared. In addition, Ms. [Bobbie] Hall and Ms. [Kathleen] Offer were role models for me as they also were successful college student-athletes. I’m grateful for how they pushed me to become a better athlete and stronger leader, plus, for all of their great advice on how to succeed as a student-athlete at the college level."

Giving back

LewAllen also said that Notre Dame presented her with so many more opportunities than she would have received at other schools. 

"I had exceptional teachers and mentors, ample opportunity for participation in school activities, the chance to grow in my faith, and challenging coursework that prepared me for college," she said. "The memories and friendships I made along the way are some that I will cherish forever. I also think it’s imperative that alumni like us should eventually give back to the school that gave us so much. It's a great way to ensure that others can have the same incredible experience we had."

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Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
 
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org