EXCELLENCE, PERSEVERANCE DEFINE 2026 IB DIPLOMA CANDIDATES

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July 14, 2026

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

Students' commitment to one of the world's most prestigious academic programs reflects the depth of Notre Dame Prep's PreK-12 International Baccalaureate continuum. 

For students in Notre Dame Prep's International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, the release of May examination results marks the culmination of two years of sustained academic challenge, intellectual curiosity and personal growth.

While the scores provide one measure of achievement, school leaders say the greater accomplishment is found in the determination, resilience and character students developed throughout one of the world's most demanding pre-university academic programs.

This year's cohort, which featured eight receiving their full diploma, demonstrated that commitment from the first day of the Diploma Program through their final examinations, balancing advanced coursework with leadership roles, athletics, the arts, service projects and countless extracurricular activities.

Excellence defines IB journey

"The word that has continually come to mind when I think of this group is excellence," said Katrina Sagert, Notre Dame Prep's IB Diploma Program coordinator.

"It's the kind of excellence that opens the doorway to prestigious universities, that creates servant leaders in the form of Student Council and National Honor Society executives as well as peer mentors and retreat leaders,” she added. “It's the kind of excellence that produces leading roles, drum majors and state champions.

"This group of scholars was full of very hard workers. They took their work very seriously, they were playfully competitive, and they were fiercely supportive of one another. I will miss them terribly, but I'm so proud of the people they have become and the bright futures they have ahead of them.”

That same pursuit of excellence extended beyond the graduating seniors. Rising seniors also participated in the 2026 examination session, with Daniel Kim earning the highest possible score of 7 in IB chemistry. This year’s group also featured several 6s, including 2026 graduate Julia Pakkala in psychology and English; 2026 grad Mary Rose Montales and rising senior Cameron Pennell in environmental systems and societies; and rising seniors Antonella Kaminskas, Isabella Kaminskas and Tomasz Kapuzniak in Spanish.

Sagert said she is equally proud of every student who accepted the challenge of the Diploma Program, regardless of the final outcome.

"I am proud of our students and for the world-class education we have provided," she said. "The skills and knowledge these students have learned will stay with them throughout their lives.”

A globally respected education

Notre Dame Prep is one of a select group of schools worldwide to offer the International Baccalaureate continuum from the IB Primary Years Program in the lower school through the IB Middle Years Program in middle and upper school and culminating in the Diploma Program in the junior and senior years. Together, the three programs provide students with a cohesive educational experience built around inquiry, critical thinking, global perspectives and purposeful action.

The Diploma Program is recognized by leading universities around the world for its academic rigor and emphasis on independent research, analytical writing, interdisciplinary learning and community engagement. Students complete advanced coursework while also fulfilling the program's core requirements, including Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).

More than 209,000 students worldwide received Diploma Program and Career-related Program results from the May 2026 examination session, joining a global community of more than 2.9 million IB learners across 159 countries. 

Olli-Pekka Heinonen, director general of the International Baccalaureate, praised this year's graduates for the qualities they developed throughout their IB journey.

"IB students around the world have met the academic challenges of this complex, changing age with resilience, curiosity and compassion," Heinonen said. "We are immensely proud of what IB students have achieved, and I know they will soon begin to bring about positive change in their communities, both locally and globally.” 

Preparing students for what's next

Notre Dame Prep Head of School Andrew Guest said the accomplishments of the school's IB students reflect years of intentional preparation and a willingness to embrace meaningful academic challenges.

"Our IB students have demonstrated what is possible when talent is matched with discipline, perseverance and a genuine love of learning," Guest said. "Whether they earned a diploma, excelled in individual subject areas or simply committed themselves to this demanding journey, each student leaves Notre Dame Prep better prepared for college, leadership and a life of purpose. We are incredibly proud of all they have accomplished.”

For prospective families, the annual release of IB results offers another reminder of the opportunities available through Notre Dame Prep's comprehensive academic program.

As Michigan's only Catholic school to offer the complete International Baccalaureate continuum from preschool through 12th grade, the school provides students with an educational pathway that emphasizes academic excellence while forming thoughtful, compassionate and globally minded leaders.

As this year's Diploma Program students move on to universities and new opportunities, they do so carrying far more than examination results, Guest added. “They leave with the habits of inquiry, resilience and service that have defined their experience at Notre Dame Prep, and will continue to shape the lives they lead well beyond graduation.”

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.