Detroit Country Day Students Meet Donald Trump

Students in Christina M. Del Pizzo's second grade class at Detroit Country Day School on the outskirts of Birmingham shared the stage with Donald Trump on stage during the 2013 Oakland County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner Tuesday in Novi and were recognized for their writing about leadership.

The crowd of roughly 2,300 — who each received a copy of the book of essays the students wrote — cheered as the students were introduced with the developer of major skyscrapers and star of the'Apprentice' television show. Del Pizzo said the 22 students wrote the essays in the September as part of Patriot Week, and were invited to share them at the dinner, which is the largest, and longest-running annual fundraiser for the county party.

One of the students confidently extended her hand to Trump on stage and told him it was a pleasure to meet him, prompting him to comment on how beautiful and confident she was, Del Pizzo said. The experience was exciting for the class, but also served a valuable educational tool, according to Del Pizzo.

"By creating an audience for student writing that exists outside the walls of our school, we’ve made their work relevant, important, and have shown our students that they matter," she said. 

Trump, who considered a run for president in 2012 discussed Obamacare, the 2014 and 2016 elections, national defense and immigration during his hour-long speech, according to the Detroit News.

Which leaders — locally or otherwise — would you want your school-aged children to meet? 

This photo was submitted by Birmingham Patch reader Christina M. Del Pizzo. Do you have a photo or two you'd like to share with the community? Post them directly to the site in the Pics and Clips gallery in the menu bar above this page.