PREPARED TO LEAD

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May 19, 2026

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

From elite college admissions and International Baccalaureate distinction to athletics, arts and leadership, the graduates in Notre Dame Prep’s Class of 2026 leave high school prepared for lives of purpose and accomplishment.

On a warm Sunday afternoon in Pontiac, the newest graduates crossed the stage at Notre Dame Preparatory School carrying with them one of the strongest academic and extracurricular records in school history.

During the school’s 32nd commencement ceremony May 17, Head of School Andrew J. Guest described the Class of 2026 as “one of our most accomplished,” citing a class profile marked by academic distinction, leadership, artistic achievement and service.

The class earned an average GPA of 3.944 and an average SAT score of 1520, placing the group in the top 2% nationally. The average ACT score was 26, five points above the national average, and 26 students scored 30 or higher. The graduating class also included 10 valedictorians and 20 International Baccalaureate Diploma Program candidates.

As a class, the graduates were accepted to 137 colleges and universities and will attend 46 different institutions this fall. Guest noted that 17 Michigan colleges and universities will enroll members of the Class of 2026.

Among the universities welcoming Notre Dame Prep graduates are Cornell University, University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Southern Methodist University and Syracuse University.

The class also posted notable college admissions results.

Notre Dame Prep seniors earned a 50% acceptance rate to the University of Michigan this year, compared with a national average near 13%. Four students earned direct admission to medical programs at Michigan State University, one student earned direct admission to medical school at DePaul University and another secured direct admission to the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Collectively, the class earned more than $5.8 million in scholarships, or an average of more than $44,000 each.

A culture of academic depth

The breadth of achievement throughout the Class of 2026 reflected the rigor of Notre Dame Prep’s upper school curriculum, including its Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate offerings.

The commencement ceremony featured dozens of AP Scholars, AP Scholars with Honor and AP Scholars with Distinction, along with recipients of the President’s Award for Educational Excellence, departmental honors and major merit scholarships.

Notre Dame Prep offers 16 Advanced Placement courses across multiple disciplines, providing students with access to college-level coursework before graduation.

Twenty students completed the demanding IB Diploma Program candidacy process, a distinction requiring advanced coursework across six academic disciplines, independent research and sustained community engagement.

Among the graduates receiving top academic and leadership recognition were Jack Leuchtmann, Matthew St. Andre, Julia Pakkala, Edith Byrd, Dino Acciavatti, Samantha Broutin and Maren Studt, all of whom earned multiple academic awards, leadership honors or scholar-athlete distinctions.

Special awards highlighted the diversity of student accomplishment across the curriculum. Daniel D. Archey received the Catherine M. Bembas Award for Outstanding Achievement in English, Jack Leuchtmann earned the Mark P. McCaskey Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics, Julia Pakkala received awards for Mandarin Chinese and Science, and Alice Larocca earned the Kirby R. Smith Award for Outstanding Achievement in Art.

Excellence beyond the classroom

Commencement speakers also emphasized that the strength of the Class of 2026 extended well beyond academics.

Guest reflected on the opportunity to watch students compete in athletics, robotics and debate while also excelling in theater, music and visual arts.

Students earned a range of honors in computer science, engineering, mathematics, visual art, theater, music, modern languages and business.

The Spirit of the Fighting Irish Award honored students recognized as positive ambassadors for Notre Dame Prep through leadership, involvement and school spirit.

Outstanding Service Awards celebrated students who “take leadership roles in school clubs, mentor other students, or are always willing to help without fanfare no matter what the need at school or in the wider community.”

Meanwhile, the “Dirty Dozen” Award recognized student-athletes who completed 12 consecutive athletic seasons in good standing across varsity, junior varsity or freshman competition.

Formation for life beyond graduation

Upper school Principal Kimberly Anderson told graduates that commencement represented more than the completion of high school.

“As a Catholic, Marist school, we believe this moment is not an ending — it is a sending forth,” Anderson said in her commencement remarks. “Each of you leaves here with more than a diploma. You carry with you the mission of this school: to live as Christian people, upright citizens and academic scholars.”

Throughout the ceremony, students and school leaders emphasized the role Notre Dame Prep plays in shaping not only academic success, but character and faith.

“As a Catholic and Marist school, we are rooted in a tradition that values not only academic excellence, but compassion, humility and a deep, enduring faith in God,” Guest said.

Anderson challenged graduates to define success not by status or recognition, but by integrity and compassion.

“Be known not just for what you achieve, but for how you treat others,” she told the grads. “Be people of character. Be people of kindness. Be people who stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult.”

The graduating class included student leaders in Student Council, National Honor Society, athletics, campus ministry, fine arts and academic competition.

Student Council President Sarah Collins led the Notre Dame Victory March during the ceremony, while valedictorian Matthew St. Andre delivered the class address.

Looking ahead

As graduates prepared to leave campus for colleges and universities across the country, Anderson reminded them that the values formed during their years at Notre Dame Prep would remain central to their future.

“The world does not just need more successful people — it needs ‘good’ people,” Anderson said. “People who are honest. People who are courageous. People who bring light into dark places.”

And after Sunday’s commencement ceremony, the world gained many more young men and women formed in that tradition — graduates prepared not only to succeed in college and careers, but to lead with integrity, compassion and purpose.

For this Class of 2026, the Notre Dame Prep experience was measured not simply by academic achievement, but “by the kind of people they have become,” noted Guest.

 

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.