MASTERING THE MYIG IN LANSING

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April 17, 2024

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

Notre Dame Prep's Michigan Youth in Government delegation, which included the state's youth governor elected earlier this year, attended the 2024 MYIG spring conference in Lansing and came home with major accolades and a big mock trial win. 

YMCA Michigan Youth in Government is a student-run, student-led model government program for teens across the State of Michigan. It provides the content and resources for delegations to organize locally to prepare for regional and statewide events. The program year typically starts with a regional fall training conference and culminates in a spring conference at the state capital.

This year's spring conference, for high school-aged participants, ran from April 11 - 14 and was centered predominantly at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Lansing, although some of the Thursday and Friday events were held in the State Capitol Building. 

Notre Dame Prep's delegation, one of the largest in school history, was featured in a number of forums, programs and activities, including the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday and a welcome address and State of the State speech to all attendees by the 2024 Youth Governor, Michael Kenny NDP'24.

According to Whitney Lorenz NDP'12, who recently has been mentoring the school's MYIG team and assisting in coaching the forensics club, one of the most exciting events that NDP delegates participated in was the Model Judiciary Program, which began in earnest Thursday afternoon.

"After a grueling eight rounds of mock trials, the NDP team 113, Geralyn Nguyen NDP'25, Erin Surmann NDP'26, Caroline Powell NDP'26 and Valentina Sedano NDP'25, took home the win in the final round of competition," she said. "Erin Surmann received a “Best Witness” award for some superb acting, and lastly, the team was gifted with a replica of the ring that served as evidence in their mock murder-trial case. 

Lorenz was effusive about the talent demonstrated by the Notre Dame Prep students. 

"I cannot begin to explain all of the hard work and dedication that they put into preparing for this mock trial case," Lorenz said. "I’m so proud of that team as well as all our students who were in Lansing last weekend. It truly is another testament to how incredible the students at NDP are."

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.