That is why tuition assistance remains a central fundraising priority for this year’s Heart of Oakcrest Gala, an event that seeks to explore the roots, principles, and people at the center of our mission. No one embodies that more fully than our students, who proudly and affectionately bear the name “Oakies.” They are the why, the who, and the what of the mission. They are the reason it exists. They are the heart of Oakcrest.

Tuition assistance ensures that more students can be part of that heart. In the 2024–2025 school year, 53% of students received tuition assistance, with an average grant of $13,500. These figures represent more than financial support—they represent access, to formation, to community, and to an education that shapes the whole person.

Students themselves are often the clearest witnesses to the value of an Oakcrest education. When asked about their favorite parts of Oakcrest, they consistently point not only to academic excellence, but to the relationships that define their experience.

As one 9th grader shared, “The most unique thing [about Oakcrest] is the way that the teachers and students are able to connect and communicate comfortably, even on a personal level.”

This sense of being known and guided is central to the Oakcrest experience. The mentoring program, in particular, ensures that each student is accompanied in a deeply personal way. As another 9th grader reflects, “I absolutely love my mentor and it's such a comfort knowing that I have someone I can talk to and look to as my guide throughout the ups and downs of high school.”

The relationships create spaces of opportunity, understanding, and freedom, cultivating a real culture of encounter. As one student writes, “I love the environment. I know that's broad, but it's the only term that encompasses everything. I love how supportive my friends are. I love how wise the teachers are, and I especially love the mentoring program.”

At its deepest level, this culture is rooted by a greater foundation, the most important encounter of all: an encounter with God. “The fact that the Blessed Sacrament is always present in the tabernacle in our chapel is definitely such a blessing that truly makes Oakcrest unique,” shares a 10th grader.

The totality of this experience—academic excellence, meaningful relationships, and daily opportunities for prayer—is not lost on our students, and is not often taken for granted. One 9th grader expresses it simply: “I appreciate that a lot of people in today's society can't afford to go to a school like Oakcrest and I feel very lucky that my parents and teachers are investing so much time and effort into my education.”

These voices point to something essential: the mission of Oakcrest does not happen in theory. It takes place in real and concrete ways in the lives of its students. This is why tuition assistance is a central priority of the Heart of Oakcrest Gala. It ensures that the students who make up the heart of the school are able to be here, and that more young women can encounter the formation that will shape who they become. Because at Oakcrest, the heart of the mission is not a program or a place. It is the students themselves.