THREE RISING NDP SENIORS EARN ELITE NSDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN HONOR

Share this article with a friend.

August 8, 2026

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

National recognition reflects excellence in academics, speech, debate, leadership and service while showcasing one of the nation's most comprehensive student speaking programs.

Three rising Notre Dame Preparatory School seniors have earned one of the highest honors bestowed by the National Speech & Debate Association, underscoring both their individual achievements and the breadth of one of the nation's most comprehensive speech, debate and civic engagement programs.

Sophia Fox, Anna Kafarski and Ian Schwartz have each been named NSDA Academic All-Americans, a distinction reserved for students who excel in the classroom while demonstrating sustained excellence and leadership through speech and debate.

The recognition is exceptionally selective. According to the National Speech & Debate Association, only about 2 percent of its student members qualify for the award. To earn the designation, students must accumulate at least 750 NSDA Honor Society points, maintain a minimum 3.7 GPA, complete at least five semesters of high school and demonstrate outstanding character, leadership and service.

For Notre Dame Prep, the honor represents more than three individual accomplishments. It also reflects a program intentionally designed to develop confident communicators across multiple platforms beginning in middle school and continuing through graduation.

"The awards are a great way to showcase exceptionalism across our multiple platforms," said Dr. LeAnne Schmidt, Notre Dame Prep's longtime speech and debate coach, middle school language arts and U.S. history teacher and former chair of the NSDA Michigan Committee. "Students earn these distinctions not only through debate and forensics, but also through Michigan Youth in Government and the speaking service that comes from campus tours, parent coffees and readings at Mass."

Different paths, shared excellence

Although each student reached the same national honor, each followed a unique path.

Fox, one of the newest inductees, has been deeply involved in Michigan Youth in Government while advancing to the office of Secretary of State. She also helped revive Notre Dame Prep's forensics team, serving as its captain and one of its strongest advocates.

Schwartz built on an early interest in speech and debate that began with middle school forensics camp and continued through Michigan Youth in Government before expanding his talents through theater during high school.

Kafarski developed her skills through legislative debate at Notre Dame Prep's middle school EdgeCamp program before becoming a respected presiding officer and standout member of the Michigan Youth in Government press corps.

Together, their experiences illustrate the many ways students can grow within Notre Dame Prep's speech and debate community.

"Our students are so multifaceted," Schmidt said. "Each has taken advantage of different opportunities while developing the communication, leadership and critical thinking skills that are central to everything we do."

A program that begins well before high school

Schmidt credits much of the students' success to the opportunities available throughout Notre Dame Prep's middle and upper schools.

Beyond traditional speech and debate competition, students develop communication skills through activities including Michigan Youth in Government, Model United Nations, mock trial, congressional debate, public forum debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, interpretive speaking events and leadership opportunities throughout campus.

Middle school experiences such as division-wide announcements, the nationally recognized Amazing Shake competition and EdgeCamp provide students with meaningful public speaking opportunities long before they reach high school.

"The mixture of exposure, including other service and competitive opportunities at the middle school like division-wide announcements and the Amazing Shake, have catapulted our students to higher points levels," Schmidt said. "That really increases the eligibility of Notre Dame Prep Academic All-Americans."

Those experiences help explain why students often arrive in high school with an unusually strong foundation in public speaking and civic engagement, allowing them to pursue increasingly advanced leadership opportunities throughout their four years.

National recognition built on a culture of communication

The Academic All-American honors add to a growing list of national recognitions for Notre Dame Prep's speech and debate program.

Earlier this year, the school highlighted National Speech and Debate Education Day by celebrating a program that has grown into one of Michigan's largest and most comprehensive. The upper school has twice been named the only Michigan school included among the National Speech & Debate Association's Top 100 Schools, while Notre Dame Prep's middle school continues to rank among the nation's largest speech and debate programs.

Rather than focusing solely on competition, Schmidt says the program is designed to prepare students for success wherever life leads them.

"While we are pleased that Notre Dame Prep's upper school has been recognized nationally, our program isn't about numbers; it's about the students," Schmidt said. "Creating opportunities through debates, speeches, performances and civic engagement helps students develop the confidence and communication skills they'll use throughout college, their careers and their lives."

She added that the program intentionally welcomes students with a wide range of interests.

"I like to say we run a 'debate, speech and civics buffet' here at NDP and everyone is welcome."

Preparing students to find their voice

For prospective families, the achievements of Fox, Kafarski and Schwartz illustrate what has become a defining characteristic of a Notre Dame Prep education.

Whether students pursue debate, forensics, theater, Model United Nations, Michigan Youth in Government, mock trial or campus leadership opportunities, they are encouraged to become articulate thinkers, thoughtful leaders and confident communicators.

The Academic All-American recognition serves as national validation of that philosophy.

For three rising seniors, it is a prestigious personal milestone.

For Notre Dame Prep, it is another example of a program where students are challenged not only to speak well, but also to lead, serve and make meaningful contributions both inside and outside the classroom.

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.