Parents Knew Best: Business Owner Says Going To NDP Was Right Move

Notre Dame Prep graduate Julia Shenck (‘00) owns horse farm and horse training center in Dryden, Mich.

When 2000 Notre Dame Prep alum Julia Shenck and her parents were considering high schools for her next stage of education, NDP was on her parents’ radar. But it wasn’t on hers.

Notre Dame Prep graduate Julia Shenck (’00) always knew what her career would be.

“When I went through the interview process to attend ’the Prep,’ I was not happy or open to the idea of the school and what it had to offer,” she said. “My parents, however, knew exactly what I needed.”

Shenck now recalls her four years at Notre Dame with much fondness. “NDP allowed me to take college-level courses and flourish more because of all of the diverse classes offered,” she said. “By NDP always demanding the best of me and my work, I was greatly prepared for what was ahead of me academically and in life.”

What was ahead for Shenck was a Michigan State University education and a career as a horse trainer and horse farm owner that she said was always part of her dream. “Believe it or not, I’ve always known my career and life path would lead me to be a horse farm owner, trainer and caregiver.”

Fast learner

A high school graduate at 16 years old and a college graduate at 20, Shenck also was way ahead of most contemporaries when she opened a new business in 2004 right after finishing her bachelor’s degree in animal science. She loves to reel off all of the services offered at her 40-acre Shenck Training Center in Dryden: boarding, lessons, 4-H and training—for horses “and people!” Shenck says that training riders is just as important, if not more important, than training horses.

“If you want to learn how to ride or if you want to become a more advanced rider, I can help,” she says. Her business also provides guidance on maintaining proper handling techniques after professional training has been completed.

“I also take care of injured horses and, along with our staff veterinarian, we provide sports therapy as part of their recovery process,” she said. She gets to watch many vet procedures and medical treatments, thus enabling her to “witness the wonders of modern science.” As a matter of fact, she said, her staff veterinarian, Dr. Roland Thaler, has performed stem-cell harvests via liposuction and stem-cell placements—right in her buildings on the farm.

“Dr. Thaler was the first veterinarian in the world to perform stem-cell therapy using ultrasound-guided liposuction,” Shenck said. “I have seen and been a part of many successful outcomes, but unfortunately I have also seen injuries and horses that we were just not able to save.”

Services offered at the 40-acre Shenck Training Center in Dryden include boarding, lessons, 4-H and training.

Witnessing the few “downs” along with the many “ups” in her career thus far has not tamped down her enthusiasm, however. And there have been some naysayers, she says, when it comes to her professional career. “Some people have not always been very supportive of my career choice,” Shenck said. “Even my own mother questions it sometimes, but I have encountered so many positive people and great horse stories along the way that I’m reminded every day that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. I truly believe that because I treat every horse like my own and that I had such a great education at NDP and MSU, I am better prepared than ever to be successful for a long, long time.”

Teacher faves remain anonymous

Shenck was asked if she had any especially favorite teachers when she was at Notre Dame Prep. “I’d have to say there were three of them: my government teacher, my world history teacher, and my AP English/composition teacher. She wants them to remain nameless because “who doesn’t like a little mystery?”

She said all three teachers made it feel as if the students were living right in that moment in time and space. “They made the topics enticing and flavorful enough to capture my attention, and made me want to expand on the subjects we were learning about, which for me says a great deal,” she said. “As these three teachers can probably attest to, sometimes it was a major project just to motivate me in the first place. But all three hold a very special place in my heart and are charter members of the ’Julia Shenck Dream-to-Life’ Club. They each opened my eyes to potentials that I didn’t know I had—potentials that once unlocked were no doubt a big reason for my success now.”

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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.