When exploring the “Heart of Oakcrest,” the central theme for this year’s Oakcrest Gala, it is impossible to understate the impact of the facilities team, Mr. Jean-Yves Millete and Mrs. Adriana Sandoval, in sustaining the mission of our school. “We contribute to the mission of the school by keeping it running and functioning,” shares Mr. Millete.

Much of that work happens in small, steady ways. It is lived out in the quiet rhythm of daily tasks—spaces prepared, problems solved, needs anticipated—so that students and faculty can focus on what matters most. 

Other times, it requires a fast and immediate solution. Mrs. Sandoval recalls the Class of 2022’s graduation ceremony, before the gymnasium’s construction was completed. She remembers, “That week, it rained almost every day and the grass was covered in mud and puddles everywhere. Just the day before graduation, Mr. Millete and I went to Home Depot, bought rolls of artificial turf, removed the chairs we had set up, and began covering the area with the artificial grass. It took many hours, but we finally managed.” Moments like these reflect a deeper commitment that goes beyond the logistics of building management and extends to the people the school serves.

Indeed, for Mrs. Sandoval, this work is not just operational. She sees her work and example as contributing to the educational project undertaken at Oakcrest: “I believe my work influences Oakcrest's mission by being a good role model for the girls, being responsible with my work, showing that through effort good results can be achieved, and that a smile is enough to make someone have a good day.”

The facilities team joins the rest of the school in the life of prayer and faith. Even in the midst of constant activity, both Mr. Millete and Mrs. Sandoval both point to the Oakcrest Chapel as their favorite place on campus. Mrs. Sandoval says, “I love knowing that we have that space to talk to God whenever our hearts need it,” and Mr. Millete frequents the Chapel throughout the day to greet our Lord in the tabernacle and to participate daily in the Holy Mass. He does admit, however, that the roof is “nice and quiet”—a perhaps privileged place of silence apart from the hustle and bustle of the busy student commons.

Oakcrest has been blessed with a beautiful campus and facilities that support and enhance its mission to form women of character and vision who will transform the world. In order to support our current needs and ensure that more students and families will be able to benefit from these resources in the future, it is necessary to support their continued maintenance and sustainability. As the main caretakers of our campus, the facilities team are the most aware of the resources needed to continue growing. As we see in Mr. Millete’s and Mrs. Sandoval’s work, these resources are not simply functional; they make the mission possible. The Heart of Oakcrest Gala supports these essential needs, ensuring that the spaces sustaining daily life at Oakcrest remain strong, functional, and ready to support every student who walks through its doors.