Oakcrest School's beautiful 23-acre campus is designed for our mission of forming young women to be Trustees of Humanity. The McGowan Family Athletic Center continues that vision by offering our students an indoor space for PE, team sports, and strength and conditioning.
Our athletic program is known throughout the region as one that trains and develops top performing female athletes that play the game with dignity and character. Student athletes are challenged to do their very best with a joyful, sporting spirit, seeking virtue in all they do. The McGowan Family Athletic Center will provide our students and coaches with excellent facilities and resources in support of our unique and women-centered program.
The McGowan Family Athletic Center will also be fully integrated with our current campus providing additional classrooms and commons for our growing enrollment. Oakcrest develops young women in mind, body and soul, and the seamless connection of this facility from the east academic wing will serve all the aspects of an Oakcrest education, including academics, athletics and student life.
The McGowan Family Athletic Center coming February 2023
Watch the construction live feed
McGowan Family Athletic Center Groundbreaking
On June 4, the Oakcrest community came together to celebrate the Groundbreaking for our new Athletic Center. Guests enjoyed presentations from school leaders from present and past, a blessing, and a rally with Charlie the Charger and students athletes.
February 2021-December 2022 Campaign to Complete Project
Over the past 40 years Oakcrest has formed over 800 young women who have gone on to become leaders with a spirit of service for others. The students Oakcrest serves have always come from varying socio-economic backgrounds and with diverse intellectual, cultural and athletic interests. Oakcrest is proud of its history of providing generous tuition assistance and scholarship opportunities and hopes to build on that tradition as our community grows in the years to come.
Through the “Dreams for Her Future” campaign we hope to identify many individuals, foundations and corporations who understand the value of an Oakcrest education and wish to make it available to as many young women as are qualified to attend. With that in mind we hope to establish many new funds that will support the dreams of future Oakcrest students who would otherwise not be able to contribute to our school’s community and culture.
We have already established a number of new funds and through the “Dreams for Her Future” campaign we hope to inspire others who wish to support Oakcrest’s mission and attract many other prospective students to pursue arts, literature and the sciences.
Over its first forty years Oakcrest has been blessed by the generosity of many people. A few of those, however, could be considered visionary in their commitment and faith in the school’s mission and future impact. The most outstanding of those visionaries was Debbie Duffy. Throughout her life Debbie was our most generous benefactor, giving the school her time, talent and treasure. As a lifelong educator, mentor and leader, she understood the value of an Oakcrest education and would do anything she could to support and promote our mission. Debbie passed away in 2014 but her legacy remains alive and well at Oakcrest.
Shortly after her passing Oakcrest learned that Debbie had remembered Oakcrest in her estate and that the school would receive continued financial support from the charitable foundation she established. In consultation with Debbie’s family we are proud to announce that, thanks to this commitment, we have established the Dorothy E. Duffy Endowment Fund at Oakcrest.
In the coming years, in addition to the funds contributed through the Duffy gift, it is our goal to build this endowment with current and planned gifts from our community so that Oakcrest continues to have a strong financial foundation well into the future.
Through the “Dreams for Her Future” campaign we hope to inspire many to include Oakcrest as the beneficiary of their will, trust or other planned gift in support of the Dorothy E. Duffy Endowment Fund. With your help we can reach that goal and guarantee Oakcrest’s continued impact on hundreds of young women in the future. If you would like to include Oakcrest as the beneficiary of your will, trust or other planned gift please email our Advancement Office.
Kate Walsh O'Beirne (aunt of Laura O'Neill '96 and grandmother of Charlotte O'Beirne '24) was a highly influential voice in culture, politics and journalism. She was a champion of political and religious freedom and left a distinguished mark on society through her work as a writer, policy expert and media personality. As the beneficiary of and advocate for all-girls education, she had a special appreciation for Oakcrest School. This fund, established in her memory by her family, seeks to support young women who would otherwise be unable to attend Oakcrest and put them on a path to become women who bring good to all sectors of society. Learn more about the fund here.
Established by Scott and Elizabeth McDonald (parents of Makenzie ‘17) the McDonald Family Fund supports faculty professional development in the areas of/but not excluded to addressing learning differences, providing differentiated instruction and helping students reach their full academic potential.
John and Consuelo Pluta (parents of Grace ’15 and Jackie ’18) have generously supported Oakcrest with their time, talent and treasure for many years. The Pluta Family Fund was established to support tuition assistance, faculty benefits, and unexpected needs not fully covered by Oakcrest’s annual budget.
To learn more about how you can make a gift through a fund, please contact our Advancement Office at advancement@oakcrest.org