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Madison Reda, a junior at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, has many reasons to be proud. She is active in Peer Leadership, as a Student Ambassador, and as vice president of Photography Club. But, in addition to her notable contributions at Notre Dame, Madison recently had the amazing opportunity to speak at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Long Beach, Calif.
NCYC is a three-day experience where Catholic teens of high school age come together for a time of prayer, community, evangelization, catechesis, and service. It is the premiere Catholic youth event on a national scale that gathers people from across America. The experience that focuses on community and service in order to feel closer to Christ. This year’s conference welcomed 2,600 attendees.
Reda is very active at her parish, St. Augustine of Canterbury, Kendall Park. Guided by the Center for FaithJustice, she and other youth at St. Augustine’s participate in the NeXt Level program, which provides Catholic youth and their mentors with the resources to create passion projects in their parishes, weeklong service immersion experiences and resources for advocacy and education. NeXt Level mentors led Madison and her peers in creating their own passion projects focusing on youth mental health, called PEACE of Mind. Their goal is to end the stigma behind mental health and bring education to the community. Reda’s leadership in PEACE of Mind (prevention, education, awareness, community, engagement) culminated in the invitation to speak at NCYC, along with five other teens from parishes in New Jersey. They all were chosen to speak about the projects they implemented in their parishes.
At the conference, Reda gave presentations at three breakout sessions to a total of about 300 people. She discussed her parish program and how attendees could begin similar passion programs in their own parishes.
Reda spoke about social justice and Catholic Social Teaching, a guide to living a moral and just life. The goal was to have participants identify areas of need in their own parishes and begin the process of creating their own programs.
Her favorite experience from the trip was when she was able to talk one-on-one to other Cathoplic teenagers about the important topic of mental and what they are doing to make a change.
Reda thanked Colleen Paras, her middle school religion teacher, for pushing her to join the NeXt Level program. Reda describes her as “her main supporter and role model.”
Tracey Reed, a Campus Minister and faculty member at Notre Dame, described Reda as someone who “has a fire in her.” Matt Greeley, also a Campus Minister and religion teacher, recognizes Reda’s leadership abilities and said she is a “source of pride for the Notre Dame family.”
Darcey is a senior communications intern.
