Student Admission Committee
A unique aspect of the secondary school admission process is the role that students play. Over 150 students in grades seven through twelve volunteers to serve as ambassadors of the school on the Student Admission Committee (SAC).
To lead this wonderful group of students, the Admission Office relies on the help of our Student Admission Committee Chairs. These are students that have been on the Admission Committee for some time and want to take more of an active leadership role. The Admission Office is happy to introduce our new 2020-2021 Student Admission Committee Chairs and don't forget to follow them on the student life instagram account @oakwoodstudentlife!
ABE
FAVORITE OAKWOOD EVENT: My favorite event on campus would have to be Spirit Night. The gym is packed with so many students and the atmosphere is unlike any other. The night is filled with different activities and events including a half-court shot competition during the halftime of the boys varsity basketball game. The food is great and the entertainment is even better! You will never see anything like Spirit Night.
FAVORITE OAKWOOD TRADITION: My favorite Oakwood tradition is the senior night for the baseball team. Senior night happens right after the last home baseball game and is a great way to send off the seniors. Players can write letters to the seniors and there is also a taco truck. It shows the amount of respect that we have for our seniors and their accomplishments.
OAKWOOD PRO-TIP: Either join/drive a carpool or ride the bus. A cool way to meet new people at Oakwood is riding the bus or joining a carpool. This is because you meet people in different grades that you might not meet on campus otherwise.
ASHLEY
FAVORITE EVENT AT OAKWOOD: My favorite event at Oakwood is Spirit Night. Spirit Night is a night where both the Lower Campus and Secondary Campus families come together to watch basketball games, the halftime show and enjoy delicious food. I had the opportunity to perform at last year's halftime show, and it was so fun! I look forward to this event every year! Bonus: They give out customized Oakwood Spirit Night t-shirts every year!
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: One of my favorite spots at Oakwood are the side tables near the library courtyard. I usually go to this area to eat lunch and hang out during my free periods. I love this area because it is near the coldest water fountain on campus and near Tree’s office, where I can come in to say hello and possibly get a lollipop or two!
FAVORITE OAKWOOD TRADITION: One of my favorite traditions at Oakwood is the Senior Countdown. On the seniors' last day of school, they gather around in a big circle and countdown the last 10 seconds they have together on campus. After the countdown, they all run to each other to have one last big group hug. It’s a bittersweet moment, but we all know they are off to do great things in life.
GALIT
FAVORITE IMMERSION: My favorite immersion was Land to Marine Environmental Service. I was lucky enough to travel to the Dominican Republic along with other freshmen and seniors. I was able to experience and learn so much in the span of only two weeks! We studied the effects of rising ocean temperature on the coral reefs and how the dying coral impacted the ecosystem and allowed invasive species to take over. We also went on mind-blowing hikes and were able to really immerse ourselves in the Dominican culture by learning to dance the bachata and cooking traditional food with the locals in Bayahibe. I was able to make connections with people from across the world who I still keep in touch with today, and I also made strong bonds with my classmates.
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: My favorite spot on campus is the Athletics Office. Once you walk in, Kathleen (Administrative Assistant of Athletics & Physical Education) will always be there to greet you with a smile and brighten your day. The office also has a super comfortable couch which you can take a nap on or sit and enjoy some of the most delicious snacks you’ll find at Oakwood. You will never get bored there since the place is always full of other students and the coaches are always fun to talk to. There is a real sense of community and I always feel at home here!
FAVORITE CLASS: If I had to choose a favorite class at Oakwood, it would have to be French. There is never a dull moment in my french class. Once a week when we have French first period, we have a petit dejeuner (breakfast) while we listen to French music and relax before we start class. I have learned so much about society and culture from French class that not only applies to languages but also to all of my other classes. One of my favorite parts of class is being able to have debates in French. I am transported to France just by walking into this class!
LOLA
FAVORITE OAKWOOD TRADITION: My favorite Oakwood tradition is Town Meeting on Mondays. It’s a time after first period where the entire secondary school loads into the gym for an all-school assembly. It’s a great time to hear about different clubs and affinity groups that Oakwood has on campus, as many of those organizations make announcements every week. You always want to listen to the announcements being made because there are always amazing opportunities for students to take part in. Then there are the performances that happen. Those are awesome because you will have a variety of performances or activities. There are great performances from students, but it’s a special treat when teachers and administrators perform. We also play fun games at town meetings! Run by the student council, we have played wheelbarrow across the gym with two members from each grade and dance competitions with competitors from each grade. Winners achieve points for their grade which helps during the Oakwood Olympics. But the best part of Town Meeting is it gives you an opportunity to see all of your friends after the weekend because everybody is there!
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: My favorite spot on campus is the Oakwood theater! As an avid drama student, I spend a lot of time in the theater and the theater office. It’s not just somewhere you go to take class, if you are involved in any theater arts it becomes your second home. It’s definitely become mine. Couches in the office and downstairs in the green room provide a great place to relax with your friends between rehearsals or shows, and outside is a great breezeway where you can enjoy a snack and some fresh air (because there is no eating in the theater!). It’s open to all, not just the theater kids, and has become a sacred place for a lot of students including myself.
OAKWOOD PRO-TIP: There are many places on campus to snag a piece of candy or two, and the only prerequisite to getting a piece is to say hi to the faculty who has the candy in their office, which you would want to do anyway because our faculty are the best! Tree always has candy in her office, Shadeed has pieces of chocolate to snag, the English office has lollipops, and even the Advancement Office has Hershey Kisses!
MASON
OAKWOOD PRO-TIP: If you are a new student, the best way to get involved on campus is to join clubs. It can be nerve-wracking to speak up in a room full of students, but I promise that clubs are an amazing space to talk about the things you are passionate about. If you can’t find the club you are looking for, you can always start your own club!
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: My favorite spot on campus is the library courtyard. The library courtyard is right next to the library so it is a great place to do work especially if you need to access resources inside of the library. I love that it is a quiet outdoor space for me to focus during the day. It is also home to the coldest water fountain on campus.
FAVORITE IMMERSION: My favorite immersion was Ocean Sailing and Navigation. I took this immersion in 9th grade and had the opportunity to live and work on a boat for a week. We did all the cleaning and even got to run our own sunrise sale. At night, Dave Badger (science teacher) gave us astronomy lessons on the deck. We also had the opportunity to work closely with a group of students in St. Johns who were recovering from a hurricane.
NADIYA
FAVORITE OAKWOOD EVENT: My favorite Oakwood event would probably have to be Spirit Night. Spirit Night happens every year around the beginning of the year. There are basketball games, a half time show, and yummy food. It’s a really fun event where the whole school gathers together to have some fun.
FAVORITE IMMERSION: My favorite immersion was Grassroots Activism. We visited various organizations in Los Angeles that helped people in need. This immersion provided me the opportunity to give back to the community. I also had the opportunity to meet and connect with great people around the Los Angeles community.
OAKWOOD PRO-TIP: Don’t be afraid to speak up and let your voice be heard. Oakwood provides a safe space for students to let their voices be heard! Don’t pass up on that opportunity to voice your opinions, even if it seems a little scary.
SUTTON
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: My favorite spot on campus is the library courtyard. It is one of the best places to be during a free period, or just hang out with friends. Not only is it right next to the library (which is wonderfully air-conditioned), but it has the coldest water fountain which is a plus. It is also home to the offices of many awesome Oakwood staff such as Tree, the College Counselors, William Perkins Tift, and many more. I have so many awesome memories here!
FAVORITE CLASS: My favorite class would have to be 10th-grade history. I had two of the best teachers I have ever had and learned about very interesting topics. One standout part was Mickey Morgan, he is one of my favorite teachers ever, and I was lucky enough to have him. He taught me so much and it still, as a rising senior, impacts me daily. That class made me question everything, in the best way possible, and I will never forget it.
FAVORITE IMMERSION: In 10th grade, I was so fortunate to travel to Detroit. My immersion was all about the rise and fall of the auto industry and its relation to Michigan's political preference. We visited the Ford factory, the Detroit Institute of Art, as well as took a tour of Detroit. My favorite part was the GM Heritage Museum! We got to look at what felt like hundreds of old cars and even went inside a few. It was such an amazing opportunity.
TEVA
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: My favorite spot on campus is the Old Senior Lot (OSL). The OSL is right in the center of campus - between various art studios and middle school humanities classrooms. No matter what time of day it is, you’ll find someone you know sitting at one of the many colorfully painted tables - doing homework, talking with their friends or teachers, or working on an art project. During lunch, the OSL is filled with great music from the student-run KOAK radio booth, lots of dancing, and palpable positive energy!
OAKWOOD PRO-TIP: If you need to fill up your water bottle, the water from the fountain in the library courtyard is the coldest! And while you’re there, you can say hi to Tree (and maybe find some candy in her office, too).
FAVORITE IMMERSION: I was lucky enough to travel to Colorado in ninth grade to study ecofeminism and hike in the Rocky Mountains. I learned so much during those two weeks about the intersection between feminism, race, and the environment while simultaneously being surrounded by nature. I came to Oakwood in ninth grade, so that Immersion was also a great way for me to make long-lasting friendships with students in different grades.