LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP

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September 3, 2024

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

'Personable and genuine young man who clearly cares for those around him' is looking forward to his senior year — and the next level. He also looks forward to his class repeating as Irish Week champions.

Senior Samuel Phillips has been on the Notre Dame Prep campus since he was in second grade. It's a fair bet that during that time, he's experienced much of what this Catholic and Marist community is all about. A strong believer in the importance of engaging in as many of the school activities as possible, Phillips has been an especially active participant in robotics in lower school, campus ministry, athletics and currently is one of the upper school's student ambassadors.

But priority one for Phillips has always been his academic pursuits with NDP's International Baccalaureate program playing a key role, especially during his junior and senior years.

"I enrolled in the IB Diploma Program mainly because I had been going to Notre Dame Prep since early in lower school and the course work of the lower and middle schools does a great job of preparing students for the Diploma Program," he said. "So I felt it was something that would be good for me. Also, it's no secret that having the program on your resume is good for college apps. I also like exploring the more in-depth avenue of learning offered in my IB HL classes."

Kyle Lilek, a longtime teacher of English and IB Theory of Knowledge who also serves as the IB-CAS coordinator, says Phillips indeed has been exploring the depths of IB.

"Sam is a gifted student who fits in perfectly with the values of the IB program," Lilek said. "He has a deep understanding of the epistemological approach to Theory of Knowledge, and is always a welcome voice when discussing various topics in the classroom. In addition and more importantly, Sam's also a very personable and genuine young man who clearly cares for those around him."

We caught up with Phillips (his sister, Gabrielle, is one of his classmates) after a busy first couple of weeks of school to find out what's in store for him this year — and beyond.

FOR MORE ON NOTRE DAME PREP'S IB PROGRAM, CLICK HERE.

QUESTION: Are you looking forward to your senior year? Any special classes or new extracurriculars (clubs, etc.) on the horizon this school year?

SAMUEL PHILLIPS: One club that will definitely be fun is student council. As seniors, we get to plan and experience all of our final Notre Dame Prep traditions (HOCO, class sweatshirts, winter formal/Sadie Hawkins, Irish Week, etc.). Irish Week will be especially fun because we won last year as juniors, and we will definitely be going for a back-to-back title.

QUESTION: What about International Baccalaureate? What are you looking forward to with IB?

PHILLIPS: IB is definitely going to be a handful during this first semester with the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge Essay, CAS, and a bunch of IAs. However, I'm sure that if I stay on top of my work, I'll be able to handle it all just fine. With all of those due dates out of the way early this school year, I'll be able to relax more in the spring semester and enjoy my last few months of high school.

QUESTION: What about sports? What are your plans this school year?

PHILLIPS: I plan on playing basketball and running track again this year. Basketball will be interesting because our team will have a very different dynamic since we lost a couple of key players to graduation. Nevertheless, we still have a pretty solid team. As for track, I think it's going to be one of the most fun sports seasons I've experienced at Notre Dame, and our 4x400M relay team is definitely looking to build off the success we had last year.

QUESTION: It’s still early, but do you have college plans or goals in mind? Thoughts on majors or even career goals?

PHILLIPS: My schools of choice right now are MSU, Michigan, UNC and Notre Dame. I want to attend a school that not only has a good reputation but also provides opportunities for me to learn, research, and succeed. I plan on taking the pre-med route, so it's not just about where I go, but more about how much I'm able to learn.

QUESTION: Can you talk in general about what NDP has meant to you during your time here?

PHILLIPS: As someone who has pretty much grown up at Notre Dame Prep, I can say that this school has been great to me. I've grown a lot, especially in my faith, during my time at NDP. I've been able to build a strong sense of community here, and through campus ministry, I've learned how to be a leader and serve those around me. I am confident that if I'm ever struggling at school, I can turn to any of the teachers or faculty members, and they'll be able to help me, which means a lot!

 

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.