COLLEGE-LEVEL ENGINEERING

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November 13, 2025

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

Notre Dame Prep’s CAD students are taking their learning beyond the classroom and into the heart of real-world innovation.

On Thursday, November 13, 2025, sophomores, juniors, and seniors from NDP’s intro to computer-aided design (CATIA) and intermediate computer-aided design (CATIA) courses took part in the University of Detroit Mercy College of Engineering and Science Research Symposium, held in the student union ballroom on Detroit Mercy’s McNichols campus.

"This hands-on experience provided valuable insight into real-world engineering applications," said Katrina Palushaj, NDP's computer science teacher who accompanied the students to the event.

"This event also was an exciting opportunity for Detroit Mercy students to showcase the research and projects they’ve been developing over the past year," said Katherine Snyder, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Science at UDM.   

Thursday's immersive experience gave students a firsthand look at advanced STEM research in action at the university level. They interacted with UDM students who presented their year-long projects in engineering, biology, chemistry and physics, gaining a deeper understanding of how their own CAD studies connect to real-world applications and future college pathways. Students also participated in campus tours and hands-on activities that offered an authentic glimpse into life as a college student pursuing STEM studies.

NDP’s intermediate CAD course stands out as a dual-enrollment opportunity, allowing students to earn college credit (Engineering 1012) through the school's longstanding partnership with University of Detroit Mercy. For over a decade, this collaboration has helped NDP students build college-level engineering skills, gain early exposure to professional tools like CATIA and strengthen their competitive edge for future STEM degrees and careers.

"At NDP, students don’t just learn about technology — they're using it to design an exciting future," added Palushaj.

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.