William L. Kozyra donated $1 million to Notre Dame in support of its capital campaign for science, art and technology. The gift is the single largest donation ever to the school in 23 years of operation.
This gift to the recently announced campaign represents the single largest donation ever to the school in its 23 years of operation. It also brings the total contributions currently for the campaign to more than $4.1 million.
“Bill’s generous gift will help accelerate the timeline for getting our plans in place for a groundbreaking in the very near future,” said Andy Guest, Notre Dame’s head of school. “Bill has been a generous supporter of our school for many years, and we are exceptionally grateful that he is providing such a momentum-builder in our exciting campaign to build for the future.”
On March 9, 2017, NDPMA launched the public phase of its philanthropic campaign to raise a total of $5.5 million toward a $7.5 million science, art and technology wing to be built on its campus in Pontiac.
Dubbed the “March on to Victory” campaign, the public phase of the fundraising effort was introduced at a special celebration on March 9 to a crowd of more than 650 who heard from school and campaign officials and watched a special video presentation.
The new facilities planned as part of the campaign, which total 26,000 square feet, will include a one-story science, technology and arts wing to be added to the shared middle division and upper division building. The new wing will house science laboratory facilities, collaborative learning classrooms, a robotics lab, a specially designed greenhouse, and a fine arts studio.
Major support
Kozyra currently is Chairman of the Board, CEO and President of Auburn Hills, Mich.-based TI Fluid Systems, a global supplier of automotive fluid-handling and fluid-carrying systems. With more than 40 years of automotive experience, Kozyra has served in positions of increasing responsibility at TI Fluid Systems, Continental Teves, ITT Automotive and Bosch’s Braking Systems division.
He started his career with Budd Company as a project engineer before eventually serving as the chief engineer and president of the company’s Wheel and Brake division. Kozyra, who holds five US patents for vehicle brake and suspension components, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Detroit in 1980 and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University's Executive Advanced Management Program in 1988.
Formerly Chairman of the Board of Trustees at NDPMA, Kozyra currently is the honorary chair of the school's March on to Victory campaign. His children William Jr. and Lauren both graduated from Notre Dame Prep in 2003 and 2005, respectively, and he has been a generous supporter of the school over the years, including a recent gift of nearly $200,000 to replace the turf on the William Kozyra Alumni Field.
“It’s very important for my family and me to continue to provide meaningful support to this great institution as it prepares for the future,” said Kozyra. “I am proud to be able to do my part to ensure that the opportunities my children enjoyed by attending Notre Dame will be available for generations to come. I attribute my own successes in life today to the private Catholic education my parents provided for me. This exciting new expansion will help open up for students such a wonderful future of learning in science, art and technology and the Kozyra family is very happy to play a part in it.”
Fr. Leon Olszamowski, s.m., corporate president of Notre Dame, said he is delighted but not surprised with Kozyra’s gift.
“I’ve known Bill for many years and he has been without fail a major supporter of what we are doing at NDPMA for our students,” he said. “Bill shares our vision of continuing to offer to our students the best educational opportunities in the state if not the entire country. This campaign to significantly broaden our science, art and technology footprint on campus will take us to even greater academic heights and we are honored and exhilarated by Bill’s very substantial engagement in the project.”
Facilities for the future
The new fine arts studio planned as part of this March on to Victory building expansion will be dedicated solely to the visual arts and provide a setting that encourages and fosters the talent and imagination of Notre Dame students. Natural lighting, abundant wall and floor space, proper worktables, ample shelving and storage, a kiln room and more will provide a setting to help aspiring young student-artists flourish. The space also will include a modern gallery to exhibit student-artists’ work.
The new wing planned as part of the March on to Victory expansion campaign will house science laboratory facilities, collaborative learning classrooms, a robotics lab, a specially designed greenhouse, and a fine arts studio.
New collaborative learning classrooms in the building expansion have been thoughtfully designed as flexible and fluid learning spaces that emphasize the roles that comfort and environment play in fostering group work as well as the hands-on learning—concepts so critical to Notre Dame’s progressive and comprehensive curriculum.
Another key component of the academic expansion is a 1,200 square-foot robotics lab and 850 square-foot adjoining classroom. Notre Dame’s robotics program has grown to encompass world-ranked programs at its lower, middle and upper divisions. The new robotics center will complement the space currently provided through our relationship with FIAT Chrysler, a sponsor of our robotics program since its inception. The robotics room also will provide dedicated education, construction, storage and training space; mobile work stations that will allow for both computer-aided instruction and robot-building space as well as indoor and outdoor work space that will be centrally located between the upper and middle divisions.
The proposed greenhouse is designed to be a powerful environmental education tool for Notre Dame students of all ages and will provide students with the unique opportunity to explore hydroponic growing systems, which is a new way to develop efficient food sources. Throughout each school year, students studying natural and social science, math, language arts, visual arts and more will benefit from the greenhouse and its garden-like setting. Kozyra’s wife, Melissa, plans to be an active supporter of the greenhouse project.
To learn more about the campaign, its impact and how to participate, please visit ndpma.org/marchontovictory.
More 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." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, 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.
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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." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, 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.