KIND, GENUINE, VERY MARIST SENIOR HEADS TO WEST LAFAYETTE

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May 2, 2024

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

Purdue-bound senior to study biomedical science after a high school career shaped by friends and 'balance.' She also advises new NDP students to 'get involved.'

When Madison Pawlowski was looking for colleges and universities, she looked for schools that provided the same stability and support she enjoyed at Notre Dame Prep. She also looked for a balance between academics and a social life. That, too, sounded like NDP to her.

"I've found that it's very important to have a stable and supportive community and I feel that Purdue University really embodied that for me," she said recently. "I have always had a lot of different support systems: my school, friends and family to name a few, so I'm very excited to have that going into college as well. 

"I also was very focused on choosing a college that had a good balance between social life and rigorous academics and I really felt that Purdue checked the most boxes for me in this aspect."

The choice of what to major in at Purdue became a bit more problematic for Pawlowski, though.  

"I was really all over the place when it came to things I was interested in studying," she said. "Even though it was challenging to arrive at a biomedical sciences major, I just found that studying science came the easiest to me in high school and that generally I was driven to learn more and more rather than have it feeling like a chore." 

One of Pawlowski's science teachers at Notre Dame Prep confirmed that drive to continue to learn more.

"I had Madison for freshman biology and in her junior year she took my anatomy and physiology class," said Dr. James Doyle, a longtime member of NDP's science department. "She is an amazing student, one of Notre Dame Prep's finest, very intelligent and hard-working. She was always at the top of the class."

Pawlowski always comes back to balance when trying to define her high school tenure in her own words.

"I feel that my time at Notre Dame Prep has heavily shaped me both academically and personally," said Pawlowski, who first came to the school in sixth grade. "I feel that I have been able to find a work-life balance so that I can handle many different things at once. I have also found so many friends who made me really enjoy coming to school."

Brian Little, another of Pawlowski's teachers at NDP, said he enjoyed having her in class.

"Madison embodies the pillars of Marist values and our school ethos," he said. "She is trustworthy, kind, genuine, and an excellent student. Madison models what it means to be a global citizen and leads with her work ethic and moral integrity. A leader in and out of the classroom, she is consistent in her academic habits and authentically herself."

Laura Elwood, one of Pawlowski's science teachers, sees big things going forward for the future Boilermaker.

"Madison is an extremely bright and intelligent young lady," Elwood said. "She always had well thought out and deep answers to class discussions and always was prepared for anything we did in class. Very hands-on and involved in all of our labs and group activities, she was willing to collaborate with anyone. 

"Madison is going to go on to do amazing things with her life."

Pawlowski says she has few regrets about her time at Notre Dame, but nonetheless offers some sage advice for the school's new students.

"Get involved! There are a lot of clubs and sports that I wish I would have joined, but didn't. Also, don't be afraid to admit you don’t like something. If it’s not for you, move on to the next thing. It took me many years to really pinpoint what I was good at."

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.