“It was the most memorable event I had while at NDA,” said 2017 Mr. NDA contestant Sam Drake.

The Academy Awards, formerly Mr.NDA, is a competition where 15 people compete for the crowning of Mr. or Ms. NDA.

Drake was selected into Mr. NDA as a junior, where his intro was based off the 1985 comedy The Breakfast Club.

Drake, who always loved the movie, thought it was a perfect fit for his intro.

The idea of his skit was that he was in detention led by current NDA teacher Mrs. Andrea Gilson with other students, and he had to get out of detention to perform at Mr. NDA.

Drake had wanted to be in Mr .NDA ever since coming to NDA, saying, “I was so excited when I was picked.  It was like a dream come true.”

The amount of work which the contestants do to be ready is a lot, but Drake said it’s worth it.

“I started working about three weeks prior to the show.  As it got closer, I had to put more and more time into it.  The last week was very busy. It took up a lot of time, but it was worth it.“

Drake’s talent act was based on an SNL skit called TB Airlines. The alum said, “It took me awhile to come up with a skit I truly loved.” 

Drake’s act kept the audience laughing as audience member and NDA junior Seth Baeten said, “I found Sam Drake’s Mr. NDA performance to be just as breathtaking as it was entertaining.” 

 Drake’s advice to people who are in the show or want to do it in the future:  “First, don’t procrastinate and plan ahead; don’t wait until the week before to plan.  Second, take it seriously. A lot of the kids want to do it, and you got voted in.Iif you are not going to take it seriously, step down and give a chance to someone who really wants to participate.  Finally, have fun. It was one of the best or the best experiences of my time at NDA.”