Oakcrest School Alumnae

Homecoming is just a few short days away! We can't wait to see each of you this weekend. Don't forget to RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3DLh7yK

Alumnae - do you remember your first days of school at Oakcrest? The 2023-2024 school year is off to a great start this week. On the first day of classes, the Class of 2024 welcomed the students, faculty, and staff to school. We love this tradition!!

Our last event during Homecoming Weekend will be our Alumnae Cocktail Reception! Join us on Saturday, September 16 at 7:00 pm for an Oakie Cocktail with fellow alumnae as we celebrate our reunion year classes: 2018 - 5 years, 2013 - 10 years, 2008 - 15 years, 2003 - 20 years, 1998 - 25 years, 1993 - 30 years, 1988 - 35 years, 1983 - 40 years! RSVP for this and other Homecoming events here: https://bit.ly/3DLh7yK

Alumnae, we look forward to seeing you at the Founder's Day Mass on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 5:00 pm. Immediately following Mass, there will be a champagne toast to honor Dr. Mary T. Ortiz, Head of School Emerita, to recognize her outstanding service to Oakcrest. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3DLh7yK

Class Captains are invited to a special Class Captains Breakfast during Homecoming Weekend on Saturday, September 16 at 10:00 am. We hope to see you there! Please RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3DLh7yK

Wishing all of our alumnae headed back to college the best of luck at the beginning of a new semester - especially to our Class of 2023 who is starting their freshman year. Tag us and share your move-in/first day of school photos!!

Alumnae Parents, join us on Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 pm for a special Homecoming Alumnae Parent Reception. Enjoy reconnecting and reminiscing with fellow alumnae parents while hearing exciting updates about Oakcrest. Alumnae Parents and Alumnae are welcome! RSVP on our Homecoming webpage: https://bit.ly/3DLh7yK

Alumnae! Join us as we begin Homecoming Weekend on Friday, Sept. 15 starting at 3:45 pm for an alumnae reception before the JV (4:00 pm) and Varsity (5:30 pm) Volleyball home games! You'll be able to watch the games and cheer on the Chargers from the 2nd Floor Commons of the McGowan Family Athletic Center. Beer, wine, soft drinks, and pre-game snacks will be provided. All Alumnae and their families & Alumnae Parents are welcome! RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3DLh7yK

Michael Harrill, son of Maria (Fagan ’06) and Steve Harrill, passed peacefully in the care of his parents on Sunday, August 13, after a battle with neuroblastoma. The Oakcrest community has been praying for Michael for many months.

Michael’s wake will take place from 4:00-6:00 pm on Thursday, Aug. 17 at Christ the Redeemer Parish https://bit.ly/448ovPK in Sterling, VA. There will be specific parking instructions upon arrival because there is a large event immediately following the wake that evening at the parish.

The funeral will take place at 11:00 am on Friday, Aug. 18, at Christ the Redeemer Parish https://bit.ly/448ovPK in Sterling, VA.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that you kindly make a donation to the Parish to support the purchase of a new tabernacle (Michael would have loved to see this!). You can make a donation in memoriam of Michael here: https://bit.ly/3QFCwkF

If you would like to support Maria and Steve and their family with a meal, you can visit their meal train here: https://bit.ly/3KFZLHw

We are searching for a Middle School Tennis coach for the upcoming Fall season! If you or anyone you may know might be interested, check out the posting here: https://bit.ly/3qyiOgb

Alumnae! We can't wait to spend Homecoming weekend with you! Check out our webpage for more information and to RSVP!

Oakcrest alumna Julia Fischer '20 is currently a Robert L. Bartley Fellow at The Wall Street Journal where she recently had a piece published on the work of sculptor Auguste Rodin. Congratulations, Julia! Read her review here:

Eternal Truths in Bronze ‘ THE GATES OF HELL’ ( 1880-1917), BY AUGUSTE RODINTHROUGHOUT HIS

We are pleased to welcome back Mrs. Christie Keuchel as our Interim Head of School! Many of our alumnae may remember Mrs. Keuchel from her years at Oakcrest from 2007 to 2020. Welcome back, Mrs. Keuchel! Read our announcement: https://bit.ly/45216A7

Don't forget to share your summer adventures with us by sending Oakcrest a virtual or physical postcard! We will share your updates in OakLink throughout the year and include them in our next print issue of OakLeaf. Share yours here: https://bit.ly/3PwjSen

Alumnae Profile: Dr. Mary M. Keys '84.

For Mary M. Keys ’84, Ph.D., now a professor of political science at Notre Dame, her love of the liberal arts began at home as a young girl and while a student at Oakcrest.

“When I graduated from Oakcrest, at first I thought of becoming a journalist or a marine biologist,” she says. “But after my first two years of college, I realized I loved higher education, especially political science, philosophy, and the Great Books. That passion led me to attend graduate school in political theory and to achieve my goal of becoming a professor.”

Even today, Mary believes that the Oakcrest education she received had a direct impact on her future studies and work. Read her profile here: https://bit.ly/3rE5Z4g

Happy 90th birthday, Miss O'Donovan! Pat O'Donovan served as the first Head of School at Oakcrest from 1976-1979.

Oakcrest alumnae Dr. Susan Hanssen '92, now a history professor at University of Dallas, was recently on The Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio! Listen here:

The Drew Mariani Show - Was America Meant to be a Christian Nation? - The Best of the Week Did the signers of our Declaration of Independence believe in and follow God? Were they deists? Did George Washington truly have a vision of Mary? Was America founded as a Christian country? Is it truly wrong to be patriotic and love our country and our nation's founders? In our nation today, Marxis...

The Oakcrest Class of 2023 dedicated the 2022-2023 yearbook to alumna, and school nurse, Nancy (Williams '98) Miggins.

Yearbook Editors, Eva Knight '23 and Cecelia Meunier '23 presented Nancy with flowers at the annual Awards Ceremony held for the first time in the McGowan Family Athletic Center.

"Her spirit and impact on every individual Oakcrest student will be greatly missed by the Class of 2023."

Congratulations to Oakcrest alumnae, Helena Tanner '19, Bridget Smith '19 and Michelle Kilmer '18! All three graduated in May from The Catholic University Conway School of Nursing.

Alumna Maddie Martin ‘22 gave our Discovering the Great Outdoors summer program a tour of the United States Capitol building as they explored D.C.! Thank you, Maddie!

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy 4th of July!

Alumna Julie Kilmer '19, graduated this May from the University of Scranton, with a major in Criminal Justice and as a Second Lieutenant in the Army and now works as the Executive Director of Centro Tepeyac Women's Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Julie was recently featured as the Students for Life of America Alumni Highlight. Congratulations, Julie! Read her highlight here: https://bit.ly/3r2KZUo

Calling all Oakies! What are your summer plans? WE WANT TO KNOW ALL ABOUT IT! Tell us what you're up to this summer! https://bit.ly/3PwjSen

Save the dates for Homecoming weekend! We hope to see you there! For more details and to RSVP for events, visit our webpage: https://www.oakcrest.org/about-us/homecoming

Alumna Receives her Master's Degree!

Congratulations to Jackie Hojilla '14! Jackie received her master's degree in Sociology this May from the Catholic University of America.

Check out our 2022-2023 school year by the numbers!! We love having so many of our alumnae engaged with Oakcrest in so many different capacities. Thank you for all you do! To get involved, visit our alumnae webpage: https://www.oakcrest.org/alumnae

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Josemaría Escrivá, the Founder of Opus Dei. At Oakcrest, our education, guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church and the spirituality of Opus Dei, immerses students in a life of Christian virtue and helps them discover the joy of friendship with God. St. Josemaría, pray for us!

Alumna Elena Buono '21 is teaching Kindermusik classes at Oakcrest this summer! Classes are open to boys and girls aged 3-5 years old. Explore offerings and details here: https://www.kindermusik.com/studio/58437

As Dr. Mary Gasser ‘08 looks back on her years at Oakcrest, she says that her education helped shape the woman she is today, especially through the formation she received from her teachers. “Every teacher imparted her own touch on my development,” Mary said. “So many were mentors and motivated to drive my success.” Read the rest of Mary's profile here: bit.ly/442Tg94

Anna Cipollone graduated from Oakcrest in 2017 before attending Georgetown University where she studied English and art history.

“In conversations I had with Mary Ortiz when I came back as an alumna to visit Oakcrest, I knew that if I was going to teach, I was going to do it here,” she said. “I was confident in the skills and the preparations that Oakcrest had given me in high school and to be part of this education is a gift.”

Anna joined the Oakcrest faculty last fall! Read her faculty profile: http://bit.ly/43gzkQ0

This spring, at the end of her second year of Physical Therapy school, alumna, Clare Polis '17 received her white coat. This symbolizes the end of didactic material and the transition into full time clinical work for her final year of school. Congratulations, Clare!

Congratulations, Class of 2023! We are so happy for you to join the Oakcrest alumnae community with more than 1,000 members!!

This weekend, we will welcome the Class of 2023 as our newest alumnae class. Our alumnae numbers will then reach over 1,000 women who have graduated from Oakcrest!!

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Mary M. Keys of the Oakcrest Class of 1984 as she returns to her alma mater to deliver our commencement address for the Class of 2023. Dr. Keys was recently promoted to Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. Congratulations! bit.ly/43wiNHq

We LOVE seeing our Oakies together! Members of the Class of 2021, Maite Talavera, Ava Quaale, and Theresa McNulty shared a fun group picture to commemorate their time together in Austria. All three were in Austria this spring with the Franciscan University's Study Abroad Program.

Today as we commemorate Memorial Day, we remember those who have sacrificed their lives for our country. May God Bless America.

Thank you to our alumnae and alumnae mothers who attended our annual mother-daughter alumnae brunch this past weekend! It was a beautiful morning spent with each of you!