Source: The Detroit Free Press

Author: Patricia Montemurri

Oprah Winfrey has invited 222 seniors from Farmington Hills Mercy High School to attend her two-day “The Life You Want” extravaganza for free this weekend at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Mercy High senior Karli Winfrey, a distant cousin to Oprah, e-mailed her famous relative to invite her to speak at the 824-student, all-girls Catholic school. Instead, Oprah extended free tickets for the senior class, plus one adult guest each, to attend the event. The school’s staff also are invited.

Karli Winfrey, 17, said she sent an e-mail to Oprah’s staff two weeks ago and heard back from an assistant quickly that the invite would be passed on to Oprah.

“I told her about Mercy and how it’s an all-girl religious school, and how we really respect Oprah because she’s an icon for women’s empowerment. She stands for women’s education because she has a school in Africa,” said Karli Winfrey.

She heard from an assistant to Oprah on Monday night.

“She had good news and she had bad news,” said Karli Winfrey. “The bad news was that Oprah was not able to come to Mercy. The good news is that she was giving the senior class and a parent a ticket to her show.”

After some routine business at Wednesday’s senior class meeting, Karli Winfrey got up to tell her classmates. She noted that many knew she was an Oprah relative, “because that’s the first thing you get asked when your last name is Winfrey.”

When she told them about the free tickets, “everybody started screaming, and there were arms going up all over the place and hugging,” said Winfrey. “And people saying, ‘My mom is going to be so excited.’ ”

Mercy President Cheryl Delaney Kreger said she learned Tuesday about Oprah’s gift to Mercy and Karli Winfrey’s efforts.

“It was a big surprise to all of us. How wonderful of Karli and how generous of Oprah,” said Kreger. “It seems a wonderful, worthwhile, uplifting day for the kids. And it would be a nice mother-daughter thing, too.” Fathers are welcome to be the “one adult” who can accompany each student, she noted.

Mercy senior class President Ogechi Nwaopara,16, of West Bloomfield, described the girls’ exuberant response:

“Everybody started freaking out. Everybody was so excited. Like who doesn’t like Oprah,” said Nwaopara. “Everybody wants to go, but there’s a conflict because this Saturday is ACTs (college entrance exam testing). And on Friday, she noted some girls are going to the University of Detroit Jesuit High homecoming game.

Karli Winfrey, alas, also has multiple conflicts. On Friday night, she’s committed to being a model at the Michigan Fash Fest. On Saturday morning, she’s taking the ACT college entrance exam and working the runway again.

Mercy President Kreger said that represents a typical Mercy student’s follow-through on commitments.

“It’s a killer to be a Mercy girl and have all that responsibility,” quipped Kreger.

The Palace is Oprah’s second stop on an eight-city tour. The event starts Friday night when Oprah herself is the night’s major speaker. Oprah also will partake in Saturday’s event, which features other speakers.