A HOME FOR THE LONG RUN

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February 26, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Liparoto family’s enduring commitment to Notre Dame Prep, a commitment reinforced not only by the school’s mission, but also by the strength of the campus itself.

When Chris and Liza Liparoto talk about Notre Dame Prep, they don’t begin with test scores or trophies. They begin with the feeling of walking onto campus and knowing their family had found something rare: a community rooted in faith, shaped by tradition and committed to forming the whole student.

For the Liparotos, Notre Dame Prep has been more than a school. It has been a place where four sons have grown into young men of character, leadership and purpose. A place that strengthened their family’s foundation and continues to shape their story.

Chris and Liza live in Oakland Township with their four sons and are members of St. Andrew Catholic Church. Chris serves as a managing director of The Liparoto, Hollis and Gibson Group at Merrill Lynch. He also brings more than 15 years of nonprofit board experience, including service with Lighthouse of Oakland County and Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan.

But perhaps his most meaningful leadership role today is the one closest to home: serving as a trustee on the Notre Dame Prep school board, helping steward the mission that has shaped all four of his sons.

Nico NDP ’23 and Joey NDP ’24 are proud alumni, both of whom were accepted to the University of Notre Dame upon graduation. Ben NDP ’26 is currently a senior and Nino NDP ’31 is continuing his own journey in middle school.

The Liparotos’ connection spans every division of campus life and it all began with a simple desire: a Catholic education grounded in something deeper.

“We knew we wanted a Catholic education for our boys,” Chris says. “I didn’t have that experience growing up. My wife did. And so, that was something we both agreed on was important to us as a family.”

Their sons began at Holy Family Regional School in Rochester, but as their oldest, Nico, approached high school, Chris and Liza began searching for the right place to continue that foundation.

They found it at Notre Dame Prep.

Finding a place that felt like home

When the Liparotos first arrived at NDP, their boys were at every stage of life: Nico was transitioning to high school as a freshman, Joey was in eighth grade and remained at Holy Family to finish his middle school years; Ben was entering sixth grade; and Nino was entering first.

It was a leap, but it did not take long for the school to feel familiar.

Even before classes began, Nico joined the soccer team as a freshman, meeting teammates and families and stepping into the rhythms of the community.

“That experience helped us realize pretty quickly that we had found something special,” Chris reflects.

The decision was reinforced not only by the mission, but also by the strength of the campus itself.

“The top-notch facilities, the fabulous teachers, the fact that our boys would be together for all-school mass, it all just made sense,” Chris says. “We knew we didn’t want to look anywhere else.”

Over the years, as each son moved through the divisions, that confidence only deepened.

A journey of growth, leadership and independence

Looking back now, Chris says what stands out most is not only what his children achieved, but who they became along the way.

“From year one, we saw the boys grow in independence,” he says.

As each of the Liparoto boys moved through the divisions of Notre Dame Prep, that growth took on new depth and meaning. For example, in the middle school, both Ben and Nino had the opportunity to participate in one of the school’s most distinctive signature experiences: The Amazing Shake.

For Chris, it is a program that captures the very heart of what makes the middle school experience at Notre Dame Prep so formative.

“The Amazing Shake is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” he says. “Teaching these kids how to speak professionally in a variety of situations, looking someone in the eye and giving them a confident and firm handshake, sets them up for success when they are in the real-world networking and applying for their dream job.”

He was so impressed with the program’s vision that Chris began volunteering and sponsoring the event, which is now in its fifth year.

That spirit of leadership development is also evident in Nico and Joey becoming deeply involved in campus ministry life in the upper school, especially through Kairos retreats, experiences that called them into reflection, responsibility and servant leadership.

“We have a saying, ‘go out and be a leader.’ That means, ‘how can you help someone else today?’” Chris said.

Joey and Ben followed Nico’s footsteps in Kairos not because it was expected, but because they witnessed the impact of these deeply personal religious retreats firsthand.

“I don’t know if any of the boys would have sought out Kairos right away. We heard a lot of positive feedback. After Nico attended, he really got his brothers and his friends excited about it,” Chris said.

For Nico, the Kairos experience extended beyond graduation. As he explored college opportunities, his faith remained central.

“He was accepted to a handful of colleges before choosing the University of Notre Dame,” Chris says, “and he sought out ways to continue growing in his faith because of what he experienced through Campus Ministry at NDP.”

Academic rigor with personal support

The Liparotos speak candidly about Notre Dame Prep’s academic strength: challenging, demanding and ultimately transformational.

“The rigor is difficult,” Chris says, “but the students are given the opportunity to stretch themselves and grow.”

Their sons have pursued both IB and AP coursework, learning discipline and resilience along the way.

“They’ve struggled in some classes,” Chris shares, “but that’s good. They’ve also always had the support of their teachers when they needed it.”

Ben, now a senior, has balanced academics with high-level athletics, learning what it means to develop strong study habits over time.

“He’s had to learn how to work differently,” Chris says. “And I believe he’ll get to college and realize Notre Dame Prep prepared him better than anything else could have.”

Chris also points to the guidance of counselors like Mr. (Vlado) Salic, who helped his older boys understand what it means to be a well-rounded student.

“He taught them that it’s not just grades,” Chris says. “It’s leadership. It’s involvement. It’s being broad-based. That’s a lot to ask of a teenager, but Notre Dame Prep helps them rise to the challenge.”

Excellence beyond the classroom

Like many Notre Dame Prep families, the Liparotos have spent countless hours on sidelines and under stadium lights, watching their sons grow through athletics and student life. It is there where Chris says his family found lasting friendships.

“You get to know other families and develop these strong bonds when you see them over and over again at different events,” he said.

Chris says the Liparotos genuinely enjoy pitching in and volunteering, even in the small behind-the-scenes ways, such as helping with security and concessions at NDP sporting events.

Sports have been an important thread throughout each of their boys’ journeys. Nico devoted four years to varsity soccer and was also on the lacrosse team, while Joey found his place in soccer and on the basketball court. Ben has made his mark as a four-sport varsity athlete as well, helping secure a state championship in soccer and contributing to a football season that culminated in a state finals runner-up finish in 2025. In his own right, Nino has also found his passion with the middle school football team.

One of the aspects Chris values most is the opportunity Notre Dame Prep provides for students to compete at a high level while still participating broadly.

“The boys had the opportunity to play multiple sports, many at the varsity level,” he says. “At a bigger school, that may not have been possible.”

For Chris, athletics at Notre Dame Prep have always been about more than competition. They have offered the Liparoto boys a chance to build confidence, resilience and relationships, while being shaped by a community that supports them both on and off the field.

“They’ve grown tremendously through competitive sports,” Chris says. “But it’s the community around it that really shapes them.”

Why Catholic education matters

For the Liparotos, the decision to invest in Catholic education was never simply about academics or achievement.

It was about formation.

Having experienced Catholic education herself, Liza always believed faith should be more than a subject taught in a classroom. It should serve as the foundation for how her children grow, lead and live. Chris shares that Notre Dame Prep offered what they hoped for most: an education that strengthens both the mind and the soul.

“NDP teaches kids to be good Christian people,” he says, “but also independent, academically driven and community-minded.

He describes the Marist mission as something lived daily across the campus.

“The brain needs to grow,” Chris says, “but their soul does as well.”

A call to serve

For Chris, giving back through board service felt like a natural next step.

With years of nonprofit leadership already behind him, he was drawn toward supporting the school that had given so much to his family.

“This is my second term on the board,” he says, “and now I’m leading the Advancement Committee as the board committee chair.”

As both parent and trustee, he sees the importance of listening, learning and balancing multiple perspectives.

“It’s a balancing act knowing when to wear each hat,” Chris says. “But I try to be a good listener. I have relationships with teachers and administrators and I also bring the parent experience with my sons being involved in so many extracurriculars. I feel like I have a good pulse on the community.”

His hope is to help Notre Dame Prep continue thriving at a time when Catholic education faces growing challenges in Michigan.

“The future of Catholic education is challenged,” Chris says, noting that many Catholic schools across Michigan are facing increasing pressures, from shifting demographics to financial realities and a rapidly changing educational landscape.

Supporting Notre Dame Prep is not only about being involved as parents. For the Liparotos, it is about stewardship. Chris believes Catholic education remains strong only when families who benefit from it also invest in its future. That is why the Liparotos make it a priority to give to the Notre Dame Fund, the school’s annual fund, each year. For Chris, it is a simple but meaningful way to lead by example, reinforcing that the mission of Notre Dame Prep is sustained not only through strong academics and dedicated faculty, but through a community that believes in the school enough to support it.

Looking ahead, Chris is optimistic.

“Hopefully in the next five years, we can grow the school and set it up for success not just for the next generation, but for the next 25 years,” he says.

Notre Dame Prep has become a defining part of the Liparotos’ journey — shaping their sons and strengthening their family. Through service and support, they are helping ensure the Marist mission continues well into the future.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School'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 Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.