“By being a journalist, I feel I am more knowledgeable about the things that make NDA a great school,” said junior Mason Tumpach.

Tumpach, who is a junior here at Notre Dame Academy has been writing for the Tritionian as a staff writer for the past quarter and is really enjoying it.

“After taking Journalism, I was sad that it was only a one-semester class because I had a lot of fun conducting interviews and writing stories. When I heard I could join Advanced Journalism, I immediately knew I wanted to do it so I could continue learning about all the amazing things and people that make NDA special,” Tumpach said.

“I decided to take Journalism because I have always enjoyed writing since I was little. I like to learn different styles of writing, so I wanted to take a class where the writing done in it was different from other English classes I have taken,” he added.

Tumpach has been writing news and feature stories for the Tritionian with feature stories being his favorite to write.

“My favorite stories to write are feature stories because it makes me feel good to celebrate the success and achievements of another person. I also feel they are better to write because they do not follow a strict format like a news story,” said Tumpach.

“One of my favorite stories I have written was the Valentine’s feature story I did on Mrs. Mattke meeting her husband. She was my Honors Bio teacher last year, so it was good to reconnect with her again. I also feel it is interesting to hear how a teacher met their spouse because it makes them feel like a human, and not just someone we see at school,” he added.

Tumpach did not go to Notre Dame for his freshman year, attending NEW Lutheran High School for his first year of high school.

“I transferred to NDA my sophomore year because NEW was too small for what I wanted. The classes available were very limited, and the same teachers taught multiple subjects. There also was no German teacher, no higher level classes like IB, and no clubs. I felt my high school experience was not at the level I wanted it to be, so I made the tough decision to transfer to NDA. It was not easy to leave some of my friends, and it was difficult to adjust to the size of NDA when my old school was virtually only one hallway. However, I am glad I made the transition, as I now can take German and IB classes. I am also a part of NHS, German Club, Writers Union and Debate Club,” he said.

“NDA offers all the classes, clubs and sports one could want, and it also prepares me for college. I also like that while having everything a public school has, I can still openly practice my faith and surround myself with other Christians,” he added.

After NDA, Tumpach plans to go to a four-year university but is not sure where yet.

“I am also still deciding what I want to study, but I am leaning towards business, economics, and real estate investing. I have also thought about getting a law degree,” he added.