NOTRE DAME IS 'FIRST A FAMILY, THEN A SCHOOL'

April 14, 2020

Senior was shocked and heartbroken when the Notre Dame campus was shut down, but he's hoping to reschedule a few end-of-year activities. He's also looking forward to Penn State in the fall. 

Like most of his peers, Notre Dame Prep senior Matthew DeAngelis was upset when the NDPMA campus was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Yes, he was very much looking forward to heading to Happy Valley in the fall to attend Penn State University, but not until after the senior class had finished up what is usually the most exciting two months of their high school career.

"When I first learned of the school building shutting down, I was in shock," he said. "Notre Dame has been my second home for the past four years, and the fact that I had to say goodbye with no warning was very difficult."

Later, after hearing of the possibility that many of the usual events surrounding graduation and the end of senior year would be delayed or altered, he was heartbroken. 

"So many other NDP alums talk about how great their prom, senior trips, Irish Week, and other events were and how they made such great memories," said the St. Lawrence Catholic School graduate. "As an underclassman, I couldn’t wait to be a senior and walk across the stage with my diploma. I hope we can get as many of these things rescheduled if they don't happen on time." 

However, DeAngelis said he and other members of the NDP student council and its executive board also are looking to reschedule and/or reorganize events they control, given the circumstances.

"Currently, there are talks of a possible Irish 'day' in the summer as well as other staple events we are missing," he said. "We are coordinating with Father Joe and the senior class moderators, and our senior representatives also have taken the initiative of creating an NDP Senior Shout Out Instagram page that recognizes our peers for their hard work during their college search. We thought it would be a good way to brighten the spirits in this difficult time and make some people smile." 

DeAngelis also is trying to look beyond his senior year and the coronavirus to see what awaits in State College where he will major in media studies. 

"I am beyond excited to attend Penn State in the fall," he said. "I chose Penn State because it had all the programs I wanted and I don't believe there are many other college towns that can compare to Happy Valley. The people and atmosphere on campus radiate school pride and I wanted to be a part of that. Especially the football games!"

Beyond college, DeAngelis hopes to one day be a news anchor or do something with media production. And he believes Penn State will prepare him well for that type of career.

He also believes his high school has prepared him well for the next academic level and for just about anything else he encounters in the future.

"Notre Dame truly shaped me into a better Christian person who is more globally aware and better able to adapt to new things quickly," he said. "NDPMA is first a family, then a school. But the academics at Notre Dame challenged me in a way that pushed me to see things differently. I believe this way of learning definitely helped me during my college search and also enabled me to feel more confident about becoming a student at Penn State." 

For more information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Comments or questions on this story? mkelly@ndpma.org

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory 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's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three school are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.