CLASS OF 1962 CREATES NEW SCHOLARSHIP

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July 9, 2024

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

Notre Dame High School alum and classmates spearhead financial boost for NDP frosh. They love that the Catholic teachings and Marist foundation that played such a big part in their lives are still very much present at Notre Dame Prep.

Notre Dame High School alumnus John Trinkwalder knows the sacrifice his father made to send him to Catholic school. The investment, he said, is one for which he is forever grateful. Now, Trinkwalder wants to pay it forward. He and his fellow classmates have established the Class of 1962 scholarship fund to support rising freshmen at Notre Dame Prep.

Trinkwalder said the idea for a scholarship was born out of discussion with the school during the Class of 1962's 60th reunion last year.

“I found out there were some students who attend the school who struggle financially with tuition, so I decided to reach out to my classmates and ask everyone to donate $100,” Trinkwalder explained. “All of us from Harper Woods Notre Dame can relate to the sacrifices our parents made for us.”

The class was able to raise more than $3,000, enough to provide four scholarships to students transitioning from middle to high school. Trinkwalder said the criteria for the scholarship is simple: students must demonstrate a financial need, participate in school activities, and be registered parishioners at a Catholic church.

“Our class goal is to raise enough money to make sure the scholarship recipients will receive aid through their senior year,” he said.

The scholarship is a testament to the Class of 62’s ongoing support of the Marist priests and Notre Dame Prep faculty and staff.

“My main interest is for these students to continue their education at Notre Dame,” Trinkwalder said. “They may not realize it now, but the education they receive is so valuable. These kids who go to Notre Dame are a light in the darkness that is happening all around us in this world. The education they receive here will have an immeasurable impact on their whole lives.”

Trinkwalder said he enjoys visiting the Pontiac campus and tries to get back as often as he can, most recently during homecoming.

“I enjoy visiting and seeing the Catholic teachings and knowing the Marist foundation that played such a big part of my life is still present at Notre Dame Prep,” he said. More information on scholarships is here. Information on how to support scholarships for families is here.

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.ndprep.org.