CUPCAKES FOR THE COMMUNITY

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September 5, 2024

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

Notre Dame Prep senior bakes gluten-free to live her school mission and benefit Michigan nonprofit.

A Beautiful Me is a Michigan 501c3 charitable organization that empowers area girls and young women for the benefit of their overall wellbeing and emotional strength "so they may positively affect the world around them."

For Notre Dame Prep senior Claire Donovan, A Beautiful Me indeed became the means and the inspiration to not only declare that she is "strong," but that it gave her another opportunity to live out her school mission by providing a positive helping hand — plus hundreds of cupcakes!

"Going into my junior year of high school, the founder of A Beautiful Me asked my mom and I if we wanted to be on the committee for their annual gala," Donovan said. "Of course, I said yes because the organization played such an important role in my own life."

Gluten-free joy

This collaboration with the Port Huron-based A Beautiful Me all started for Donovan when she was in fourth grade after she attended a workshop hosted by the organization that focused on confidence and self-esteem-building for young girls. By the time she got to the sixth grade, she became what the institution calls an "affirmation girl" after she officially and publicly affirmed that she too was strong.

That "strength" led to a desire for Donovan to do even more for the organization that had had such a positive effect on her.

"I wanted to spread joy — but also gluten-free treats. So I offered to donate cupcakes for their upcoming gala. They said yes and the cupcakes were a hit! But I way over-baked and instead of having 20 dozen, I made 35 dozen cupcakes. It was such a joy to give back to the community and an organization that taught me to be so confident in myself."

Donovan's cupcake business actually originated in a sophomore class at NDP where students in their final year of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program deeply explore an area of personal interest. 

"My cupcake business was created through inspiration from my IB Personal Project class as well as the fact that in my opinion there were no tasty gluten-free treats to compare to gluten treats," she said. "That's why I came up with Claire’s Cupcakes, plus the fact that I've always loved baking."

Sharing her faith and planning for medical school

Now in the early weeks of her final year at NDP, Donovan is maintaining her business and setting her sights on college and career. 

"I am very much interested in attending medical school to become an OB/GYN," she said. "I recently attended a medical camp where I had the opportunity to deliver a baby out of a simulation robot, which definitely secured my interest in being an OB/GYN! I cannot wait for that journey to start. Meanwhile, I'm looking at colleges such as Rice University, the University of Michigan and many others for undergrad."

Looking back on her time in high school, however, Donovan has high praise for Notre Dame.
 
"NDP has been such an amazing experience for me. I absolutely love the community that I am surrounded by each day. The staff is wonderful, which makes the experience so much better in terms of academics and learning. I feel like I am so supported by each and every teacher."

Faith also has been a big part of her NDP experience. 

"NDP has the best campus ministry ever," she said. "When I am having a bad day, I often go to see Ms. [Della] Lawrence and we pray, which just turns the entire day around. My faith has grown incredibly here. I had the opportunity to go on Kairos in January 2024 and it was such an amazing experience. I also helped lead a freshmen retreat my junior year, which allowed me to share my faith with other students."

 

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.