Notre Dame Alumni Association

08/31/2026

FROM NOTRE DAME TO THE WORLD OF JAZZ: WALT SZYMANSKI ND’72

Notre Dame Prep is celebrating the recent All About Jazz feature on Walt Szymanski ND’72, a remarkable trumpeter, composer, arranger and educator whose career has taken him from the halls of Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods to stages and classrooms around the world.

As a Notre Dame student, Szymanski quickly established himself as a standout musician, earning first chair in the wind ensemble and orchestra, lead trumpet in the jazz big band and pit orchestra, and the 1972 Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia award as Michigan’s “Best Jazz Trumpet.” His career that followed reads like a who’s who of jazz: he served as musical director and arranger for legendary drummer J.C. Heard and performed with jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson, along with Clark Terry, Thad Jones, Ray Brown and others.

Today, Szymanski lives in Tumbaco, Ecuador, where he performs with the ZULU KINGS BRASS BAND, teaches and mentors young musicians, and continues to compose and arrange for clients around the world, including the London Symphony Pops and Broadway, where his credits include two original shows, “Sleigh Bells Swing” and “Trouble Man.”

His story is another reminder of a long tradition of music excellence among students and alumni — a tradition that continues today at Notre Dame Prep in Pontiac.

Read the All About Jazz feature at allaboutjazz.com/musicians/walt-szymanski

08/26/2026

TRANSPORTATION TALK: TRUCK TOWN REMEMBERED: There’s some serious local transportation history behind the wheel of this upcoming discussion — and a Notre Dame Prep connection.

On Oct. 1, alum Evan McCausland NDP'04 will join the Pontiac Transportation Museum for “Twilight in Truck Town: The Last Days of GM Heavy-Duty Truck Production in Pontiac.”

An accomplished automotive writer, author and copywriter, McCausland has spent much of his career documenting the history, technology and culture surrounding cars, trucks and other forms of transportation. His passion for local automotive history runs especially deep, making him a natural fit for a conversation about Pontiac’s important role in the story of General Motors and heavy-duty truck production.

The discussion begins at 7 p.m. at the Pontiac Transportation Museum, 250 W. Pike St. Admission is free, with donations appreciated.

We’re proud to see another NDP graduate putting his knowledge and talents to work preserving and sharing an important part of our community’s history.

08/18/2026

Looking for a fun evening out and a chance to mingle with fellow Notre Dame Prep families? Join us for Paddles and Poker on Saturday, Sept. 19. Bring your friends and come out to Greystone Pickleball in Auburn Hills from 6 to 10 p.m. Enjoy pickleball courts, casino-style games, heavy appetizers, silent auctions and more! All proceeds benefit the Notre Dame Fund.

Register today at ndprep.org/paddles.

08/18/2026

If the latest issue of IRISH Magazine hasn’t landed in your mailbox yet, it should be arriving soon. In the meantime, you can check out the online edition and catch up on all the latest Notre Dame Prep news, stories and community highlights at ndprep.org/irish-magazine.

CURRENT ISSUE: The latest IRISH celebrates the people, programs and stories that continue to shape the Notre Dame Prep community and its heritage schools. This issue features a special cover story, “Sound Foundation,” exploring how NDP’s band and music program develops musicians, scholars and leaders from Pre-K through graduation.

Additional stories spotlight the Class of 2026 and its accomplishments; the Amazing Shake and its lessons in confidence and leadership; a student whose faith, scholarship and philanthropy are making a difference; and the life and legacy of alumnus Issa Fram. The issue also looks at NDP’s ISACS reaccreditation process, the school’s commitment to service, and the many ways our alumni and community continue to stay connected.

Plus, there’s plenty of Irish news, alumni class notes, reunions, upcoming events and prayers.

Check it out!

08/14/2026

FOCUS AND FOLLOW-THROUGH: Part of a new generation of entrepreneurs, Notre Dame Prep alumna Valerie Grass NDP’25 turned a high school photography class into a growing business while developing the initiative, discipline and practical skills that continue to shape her path in college and beyond.

Read all about this industrious and talented young woman at ndprep.org/focus-and-follow-through


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08/13/2026

THROWBACK THURSDAY: FR. HOLLYWOOD, THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL PRIEST

Long before Notre Dame Prep, there was Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods — a former Marist-run school with deep ties to the NDP community.

In a 2022 episode of the Archdiocese of Detroit’s "Detroit Stories" podcast, former Notre Dame High students recall the legendary record hops of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s — and the unforgettable priest who made them happen: Fr. John “Hollywood” Bryson, s.m.

Musician Simone Vitale ND'67, actor Dave Coulier ND'77 (“Full House”) and 1962 alum Jerry Alderman share stories of a priest who knew music, recognized talent and, most importantly, cared deeply about his students and helping them make the most of the gifts God gave them.

As one former student put it, there will never be another Fr. John “Hollywood” Bryson.

Listen to the "Detroit Stories" episode at youtube.com/watch?v=3KpBIgm8qYA

08/11/2026

Great to read the good news about alum Dave Coulier! ☘️

Dave Coulier, now cancer-free, and several "Full House" cast members reunited at The Nostalgia Con in Orlando, Florida over the Aug. 7-9 weekend.

08/10/2026

Funeral arrangements and obituary here: https://mccarthyfh.com/tribute/revronald-desrosierssm-21-635/

REMEMBERING FR. RON DESROSIERS, S.M.

Notre Dame High School Harper Woods alumni will remember Fr. Ron DesRosiers, s.m., as a teacher who was impossible to forget.

DesRosiers passed away early Sunday morning, Aug. 9, at St. Patrick Residence in Framingham, Mass. He was 89. A Marist educator and priest, he spent approximately 20 years teaching French and Latin at Notre Dame in Harper Woods over three different stints, most recently leaving the school in 1990.

For generations of NDHS students, DesRosiers was more than a teacher. He was funny, animated, demanding and, by all accounts, a memorable character in the classroom. In a 2017 IRISH magazine profile, former NDHS student Dwight Cendrowski ND’70 called the Marist one of his favorite teachers and recalled his reputation for classroom hijinks.

DesRosiers himself remembered his years at Notre Dame as “amazing,” and one story he shared in that profile perhaps captures his lasting impact best: years after teaching a former Latin student, the two unexpectedly crossed paths. Before even saying hello, the former student smiled and began reciting the Latin mnemonic DesRosiers had taught him decades earlier.

That was Fr. DesRosiers: a teacher whose lessons — and personality — stayed with his students long after they left ND.

We extend our prayers and sympathy to Fr. Ron’s Marist community, family, friends and the many generations of Notre Dame students whose lives he touched.

Read more about this memorable member of the Notre Dame Harper Woods story in the 2017 IRISH magazine profile, “Marist Educator Extraordinaire” at ndprep.org/marist-educator-extraordinaire

Information regarding funeral arrangements is not yet available.