NDP STUDENTS SHINE AT STATEWIDE MYIG CONFERENCE IN LANSING

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December 1, 2025

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

Middle school delegation earns praise for preparedness and ethics while diving into real-world lawmaking.

Last month, middle-school students from Notre Dame Prep traveled to Lansing for the 2025 YMCA Michigan Youth in Government (MYIG) Middle School Conference, held Nov. 16–18 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The NDP contingent joined hundreds of other participants who were sworn in as legislators, spending the weekend immersed in Michigan’s civic process through bill writing, committee debate and chamber deliberation.

MYIG is a statewide model-government program that gives participating middle and high school students the chance to simulate real government roles — from lawmakers to lobbyists to press corps — and learn how legislation is crafted, debated and passed. 

For the NDP delegation, the trip was more than an academic exercise. According to Dr. LeAnne Schmidt, head debate and forensics coach at NDP, and middle school language arts and U.S. history teacher, the delegation “received lots of compliments on preparedness and ethics.”

At the heart of the NDP effort was eighth-grader Vivian Megalizzo, who served as delegation president for the conference. In reviewing her experience in Lansing, she said she was struck by the friendships and shared interests that blossomed among her peers.

“My favorite part had to be that I got to know so many people in eighth grade that I never get to talk with or know personally in the past,” she said. “MYIG really brought all of us students together. From the bus ride to the social night, all of us bonded really well. It was crazy, because I found out that I shared so many interests with so many people.”

For Megalizzo, the most difficult moment came at the end.

“The hardest part had to be leaving,” she said. “I made so many amazing memories with new and old friends. I couldn't describe how much fun all of us had, this being our last middle school conference. It was definitely more somber than it was leaving as a seventh grader last year. But I’m excited to see where MYIG takes us as we transition into high school.”

During the conference, NDP delegates dove deep into the mechanics of government.

“In depth, a little summary is that as eighth graders, we learned how bills become laws and got to learn and use parliamentary procedure, which is the method used on how bills get passed and vetoed,” Megalizzo recalled. “We all got to hear about many amazing bills and why the writers chose to take on that topic and why they wanted to make such changes in the State of Michigan.”

The conference’s structure mirrors real-world civic institutions: MYIG offers a simulated bicameral legislature with Senate and House chambers, where student — senators and representatives — draft, debate and amend bills in committees, then move them forward for chamber votes, just like in the actual Michigan Legislature. 

Reflecting on her experience, Vivian addressed younger students considering joining MYIG:

“If you are a sixth or seventh grader who wants to dive deeper into debate, legislative bills, and how our government functions, this is for you,” she said. “Your leadership skills will develop much further than you believe, and you will see yourself grow as a leader!”

For Notre Dame Prep, the 2025 MYIG Middle School Conference was both a celebration of its students’ civic engagement and a powerful introduction to the responsibilities and possibilities of government. With their strong showing — in preparedness, collaboration and ethics — the NDP delegation not only honored the spirit of MYIG but also made a compelling case for future participation as they head into high school.

Looking ahead, the experience promises to leave a lasting mark on many of these students — shaping how they view government, advocacy, and their own capacity for leadership.

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.