UPCOMING EVENTS

See what's happening this month.

PORTRAIT OF AN OAKCREST GRADUATE

Meet our alumnae

THEN AND NOW

A pictorial history of Oakcrest then and now

ALUMNIFIRE

Network with Oakcrest alumnae

ALUMNAE NEWS

Share your news and update your

contact information

ALUMNAE PRAYER INTENTIONS

Submit your prayer intentions

Greetings from

Maritere (Gramatges '91) Crum

Alumnae Relations Coordinator

Dear Oakies,

I hope that you have enjoyed a restful summer. On campus, the Alumnae Relations Office along with our two new Oakcrest Alumnae Association Co-Presidents, Tara (Hill '11) Van Zoeren and

Katie (McNeish '16) Hill, have spent the summer preparing for another year filled with fun alumane events. Tara, Katie, and I are looking forward to seeing all of you throughout the year! You can get to know Tara and Katie through their featured Alumnae Profiles this month.

Homecoming Weekend kicks off on Friday, September 15 at 3:30 pm with an ice cream truck, followed by an alumnae pre-game social in the 2nd Floor Commons of the new McGowan Family Athletic Center, where we can comfortably watch the Oakcrest JV and Varsity Volleyball games while socializing with our fellow alumnae and their families. If you haven't already done so, it will be the perfect opportunity to check out this new campus building! Following the Varsity Volleyball game, parents of our alumnae are invited to join us for the Alumnae Parent Reception at 7:30 pm in the Library for an evening of reminiscing and updates.

The Saturday festivities begin with our annual Class Captain Appreciation Breakfast at 10 am and continues at 5 pm with the Founder's Day Mass, followed by a Champagne Toast to honor Dr. Mary T. Ortiz, the Founder's Day BBQ and 6:30 pm, and culminates with our Alumnae Cocktail Reception celebrating our reunion year classes. Members of the reunion classes (1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018) and current Class Captains will receive a Paperless Post invitation with additional details. Please note that we do not have updated contact information for some reunion class members; please ask them to update their information so that we may send them an invitation. Detailed information for all of the weekend events can be found on the Homecoming page of the school website. We are looking forward to welcoming you all back soon.

One final note, if you would like to submit your personal updates for our annual print publication, OakLeaf, the deadline for content and photos has been extended to August 30. Please send all updates to mcrum@oakcrest.org.

I look forward to seeing you soon,

Maritere

Upcoming Events

Homecoming Schedule and RSVP

Oakies in Action

Alumnae Featured on

Relevant Radio

Dr. Susan Hanssen '92, a history professor at the University of Dallas, sets the record straight in a recent episode on Relevant Radio titled "Was America Meant to be a Christian Nation?" Well done, Susan!

Alumnae Sets the "Travelling" Stage

Kiley Hatch '19 and her Embers Theatre Co. presented a travelling stage production of William Shakespeare's "As You Like It". The family friendly, 90 min version featured many familiar Oakcrest faces, including alumna Elena Buono '21. Paula (Sparacino '00) Zelaya and her family hosted one of the shows in their backyard. You can learn more about Kiley's Ember Theatre Company here.

Alumna Summer Study Abroad

Elena Buono '21 recently shared that she completed a 3-week study abroad program in Italy this past May. She was thrilled to have visited many major sites in Rome, including the Colosseum and St. Peter's, as well as sites in Pompei (pictured above) and Assisi. What a great experience, Elena!

Alumna Publishes Article

Abigail Adams '22, spent the summer working as a research intern at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. She co-authored an article published in The Daily Signal titled, "Pro-Life States Are Putting Their Money Where Their Mouths Are." Abigail also attended World Youth Day and Magis in Portugal and Spain and will be attending the Synod on Syodalisy in Rome this fall with a delegation from Fordham University. Keep up the great work, Abby!

Thank you, Alumnae

This summer, 9 alumnae assisted on campus in various ways. From interns to Summer Programs counselors and instructors, alumnae from various years kept the Oakcrest spirit going strong this summer!

A special thank you to: Mary (Ferstl '94) Dausch, Sophia Dort '18, Alexa Lerner '21,

Elisabeth Dunch '22, Natalie Major '23, Sophia Miller '23, Rima Al-Mosawy '23, Elizabeth LeMaster '23 and Theresa Reilly '23. We greatly appreciate your continued dedication!

Meet Our Alumnae

Tara (Hill '11) Van Zoeren

and

Katie (McNeish '16) Hill

Working alongside her sister-in-law Katie (McNeish ‘16) Hill as co-presidents of the OAA,

Tara said the two of them cannot wait to have their daughters going to school together. “We have the same goal of working to make their experiences, and all future students’ experiences positive, strengthening, and fun!”

What inspired Katie to give back to Oakcrest with her time and dedication, she said, was the

confidence in knowing that Oakcrest “was a space that gave me the opportunity to grow and i

ntroduced me to some of my best friends.”

Read Tara's and Katie's complete profiles here.

Did You Know?

Over the past 3 years we have been putting together display boards with your graduation pictures and pictures from your class's time at Oakcrest. We unveil the new ones each year at the Homecoming Reunion Reception and display the past years throughout the year at the various alumnae events.

Oakcrest Then and Now

Opening Our Doors to a New School Year

Throughout the 47 years of Oakcrest School, thousands of girls have walked through our doors on the first day of school eager to begin a new year. Whether at the Yuma Campus or in McLean, they were greeted by smiling faces as they walked through a doorway with the name of “Oakcrest” written above them. Now in our home in Vienna, our students, with enrollment over 300 this 2023-2024 school year, still experience the same, entering through a doorway adorned with Oakcrest School and our crest at the top of the building as they are greeted by faculty and staff. While each of our campuses had her own character, what happened inside the doors remained the same - to fulfill the Oakcrest mission of educating young women and forming them to be leaders.

Oakies on Campus

Oakcrest School names Christie Keuchel as Interim Head of School

Mrs. Keuchel joins Oakcrest as our Interim Head of School. She returns after teaching and working in various administrative roles from 2007 to 2020. Welcome back, Mrs. Keuchel!

Read our announcement

Alumnae Mom, Elizabeth Rolwes, becomes new Dean of Students

Mrs. Rolwes will take on the role of Dean of Students this coming school year. A proud alumna of Montrose, our sister school in Medfield, MA, and the mother of Patricia ’23, Mrs. Rolwes has devoted over twenty years to raising her six children and has taught theology at Oakcrest for two years. She brings love and excitement into her new role, and we are overjoyed to welcome her!