It's been a fun and exciting four years for soon-to-graduate senior.
Senior Lauren Neiheisel says Notre Dame Prep has been a great fit for her.
She's not complaining, though.
"I came to Notre Dame because I knew I would be academically challenged and have access to many extracurricular activities," she said. "I also was happy to be continuing my Catholic education. My sister came here before me, and I wanted the same experience she had."
Neiheisel had more comments on her time at Notre Dame. A lot more.
Take a look!
On why NDP is different from other schools:
I didn’t realize it at first, but I came to learn that Notre Dame is a very spirited school. The students always support each other. No matter what the activity is, there will always be Notre Dame students cheering on their peers. Notre Dame also is different from other schools because I am able to talk openly about my Catholic faith here. I can voice my opinions about what I believe, and others will respect what I say. They’ll even join in the conversation.
In January, Neiheisel was named a finalist for the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Scholar-Athlete Award in Class B.
I would use these three words to describe my academic experience at Notre Dame so far: challenging, interesting, enjoyable. By far, the best and most interesting class I’ve taken at Notre Dame is honors composition. Ms. [Julie) Carman was able to make the class very interesting and interactive while we learned. No matter what our topic of discussion was, she made it relevant to our world today.
On what is fun about Notre Dame:
The most fun experience I’ve had so far at Notre Dame is Irish Week. All week, our entire grade gets to bond as we work together and have lots of fun. Plus, not only did our class win the Irish Games two weeks ago, we also ended up coming in third place as freshmen!
On finding the right balance among all of the various activities at NDP:
I am able to balance schoolwork, sports, clubs and activities at Notre Dame because I stay organized. I also have been able to improve my time-management skills thanks to our counselors. During our freshman year, they taught us tips on how to balance schoolwork and our outside activities, and those tips have been very helpful for me throughout my three-and-a-half years so far. Notre Dame has been a great fit for me because I am challenged academically while having many opportunities outside the classroom. Here I am able to participate in activities with my peers and develop different skill sets.
On how NDP encourages its students to become mission-centered young men and women:
Notre Dame has helped me become a Christian person through teaching me more about my religious beliefs. Prayer services and liturgies allow me the opportunity to spend time with God and just focus on him. Since coming to NDP, my faith has grown and gotten stronger. It also has helped me become an upright citizen through Christian service initiatives, plus I'm given plenty of opportunity to talk about problems in today’s world, and that helps me become more aware of what is going on around me. Finally, Notre Dame has helped me become an academic scholar through offering many different academic opportunities. There are so many different and challenging course options that enable students to explore different aspects of the academic world.
On being prepared for college and life:
I know when I graduate from Notre Dame I will leave feeling prepared for the real world with a strong Catholic foundation. I know that by the end of my fours year here I will be very ready for life’s challenges because I have been taught how to handle them.
Neiheisel has been a member of the Irish cross country and track and field teams.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.
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. Notre Dame's upper school 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 schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools 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.