Late Enrollment Boarding School
Oak Hill Academy Summer Session: Let the journey begin!
Today marks the first day of summer session. This is a great opportunity for students to tackle a difficult subject and give it their undivided focus, for students to pursue grade improvement by re-taking a class, and, for some, a chance to begin their Oak Hill careers in an even smaller, personal environment. The summer session has proven to be a great starting point for many Oak Hill students. They are excited about a fresh academic start, making new friends, and, for many, being away from home for an extended time for the first time.
From my perspective in Admissions, the reason I am most excited for them has to do with their self-image. This is a very difficult thing for many students to articulate, but they are excited by the opportunity before them to redefine themselves. A fresh academic start, a new peer group, new relationships with teachers, and a chance to become who they want to be outside of the family dynamic is exciting! Of course, these things still happen with a Fall enrollment, but the change is compacted and highly visible during the 5-week summer session and this is why I am so excited today. I see how nervous many of them are today and I know how, in just a few short days, they will be hitting their stride. They come to see themselves very differently through this experience and being a part of this journey as the Director of Admission is the most rewarding part of the job.
Oak Hill Academy between the sessions
Oak Hill Academy is in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, in the Appalachian Highlands. I live in a beautiful place. This is a fact that I often took for granted until I started giving tours in the Admission Department and seeing the campus and surrounding beauty through the “new eyes” of prospective parents and applicants changed that.
As I write this, the rushed excitement of our final school days of 2014-15 and the “pomp and circumstance” of graduation is now 3 weeks past. Campus has gotten extremely quiet and this has put me in a reflective mood. Most of the faculty and staff live on campus, but the first several weeks of summer are a time for family vacations. Have I mentioned that campus is quiet?
I am accepting applications and conducting tours throughout the summer – I’m available and keeping regular office hours. If you are considering Oak Hill Academy for your student, I encourage you to contact me to set up a campus visit as I meet with families individually and do not do “open houses.” However, I encourage you to target June 22-July 24, during our summer school session, for your visit. Our summer session brings students back on campus, allows new students a great place to start, and offers an excellent opportunity for visitors to see school in session. I’m very excited to welcome students back on campus June 22 because, as I show campus between sessions, it makes me miss the impressiveness of “who” we are. Students, I miss you, and I look forward to seeing the campus look like this again soon:
Valuable out-of-classroom experiences: Health Science Shadowing Program at Oak Hill Academy
Oak Hill Academy strives to give students opportunities to embrace something more than just a typical classroom setting. Our College Guidance department has created many opportunities for students to research Colleges and Universities during their Junior and Senior years. Increasingly Colleges and Universities want students to show “demonstrated interest” in their selected field of study.
This year, Oak Hill Academy, in Partnership with Dr. Anne Branwell-Grayson, and Twin County Regional Hospital in Galax, Virginia, have created a shadowing program for Oak Hill Academy students interested in the diverse field of Health Science. This outstanding program offers students the opportunity to shadow in a variety of different hospital departments. This year students shadowed in the Pharmacy, pathology labs, laparoscopic and open surgery theaters, nursing and hospital administration.
Our inaugural team consisted of seniors all committed to Colleges and Universities with a focus in the Health Sciences. Destiny (Virginia Commonwealth University) with a focus in Orthopedic Surgery, Oluchi (Virginia Commonwealth University) with a focus in Pharmacy, Michelle (Berea College) Undecided Health Science, Adrian (United States Navy) with a focus in Field Medicine and Cardiology, and Sean (Radford University) with a focus in Business and Medicine.
These students are the first wave of what will continue to be a very important and essential program for rising juniors and seniors. As the program grows we hope to increase the opportunities for students who are interested in every aspect of the Health Sciences. To learn more about this, and other unique opportunities at Oak Hill Academy, please contact Mike Rodgers, Director of Admission at mrodgers@oak-hill.net or (276) 579-2619.
Warrior Weekend Activity – Zip lining at Hawk’s Nest
There are frequent off-campus trips and on-campus activities available on the typical weekend at Oak Hill Academy. Still, the students really look forward to the three “Warrior Weekends” spread throughout the school year. On these weekends, the students are presented with an extraordinary menu of small, out-of-the ordinary, off campus trip options. This past Warrior Weekend, for example, the highlights included a dinner-theatre trip, Virginia Tech lacrosse game, laser tag, and a zip lining trip to a nearby adventure center in the Boone, NC mountains.
Although the weather threatened to turn against us, the group had a blast (check out those clouds coming in!). The windy conditions provided a challenge to complete the runs without getting stuck, but our adventurous spirit carried us that day! The day was completed with a great meal at The Cookout restaurant. A few of the group had last seen the Hawk’s Nest covered in snow as it is also the site of our frequent snowboarding trips in the winter – all less than an hour’s drive away!
Oak Hill Academy Stories #2 – Tiora Hackley ’08
Tiora Hackley spent 4 years at Oak Hill Academy, graduating in 2008. Her contagious personality and the personal growth she showed during that time have made her one of the most fondly remembered students to come through in many years. Tiora has been very busy and productive since graduating from Oak Hill Academy. After attending Norfolk State University and, later, Virginia State University on a basketball scholarship, the Virginia Beach native has gone on to some very prestigious internships and putting her BFA degree to good use while working in the graphic design industry and starting the Teekie Apparel brand (www.teekieapparel.biz). I recently spent some time catching up with “Teekie” and discussed the impact of the Oak Hill experience on her life.
Tiora is shown here presenting her Post-Baccalaureate Project at MICA
What are you doing now in the business world?
Right now, I am finishing my graduate work at the Maryland Institue of Art (MICA) and plan to graduate the post-baccalaureate program in graphic design in May. I’ve got some business opportunities with my apparel brand and am applying to some great companies. I can’t wait for my next move!
What has been your path since graduating Oak Hill Academy in 2008?
I was a student athlete (women’s basketball) at Norfolk State and transferred to Virginia State University for my last two years. I graduated VSU with a BFA in Graphic Design, did a lot of work for the VSU athletic department as a media specialist and started my own clothing line, Teekie Apparel, all in 2013. I was also able to secure a graphic design freelance assignment with the Under Armour Retail Design Team in 2014. I also extended the Teekie brand by working as a stylist consultant for a WNBA player, Monica Wright of the Minnesota Lynx. This year, I made the tough decision to go back to school to invest in my career and currently attend MICA.
This is one of the many marketing pieces Tiora created for VSU. She tells the story of how cool it was to run into one of her former Oak Hill classmates, Kevin Durant, during one of her work assignments.
What did you discover about yourself at Oak Hill?
At Oak Hill Academy, especially by my senior year, I realized that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. At Oak Hill, I developed confidence and was able to focus on my future. I had a lot of support from teachers like Rev. Turnmire and Mrs. Bonham who taught me that good things come from hard work. I feel that I was pushed to the highest potential and was guided in all areas of life – not just academics. The spiritual opportunities at Oak Hill also has a lasting impact and I always do my best to attend church and be thankful to God to this day. Because of this support, it became very important to me to leave a good impression on my peers and teachers. It wasn’t always like that – I grew up a lot at Oak Hill Academy.
Did Oak Hill Academy help foster your passion for graphic design and art?
Most definitely. I was involved with a lot of 21st century skills through Ms. Sargeant’s classes. I also enjoyed the art classes which rounded out my experience. I remember the many projects I was given the responsibility for such as the senior night video presentation, which I think was a big hit!
We are very proud of the ambitious, energetic young woman Tiora has become. During her time here, Teekie became “our kid” and we have lots of great memories of her. I must also point out that Tiora became the first 1000 point scorer in Oak Hill Lady Warriors history and is considered a pioneer of the program. Please contact Mr. Rodgers, Director of Admission for application information or to discuss our school. We want to part of your success story too!
www.tiorahackley.com to visit Tiora’s graphic design site.
College Acceptances at Oak Hill Academy Boarding School
150 (average number of students), 10 (average classroom size), 9 (number of national championships won by our top basketball team) 3 (times our coach, Steve Smith, has been named Naismith National Coach of the Year, 14 (countries represented in our current student body). These are all numbers of which to be proud. I’m most proud of 95. That is the percent of graduating Oak Hill Academy students over the last 10 years who have been accepted to college, many of them first-choice colleges and universities. Please see our website for a comprehensive list of where our students go on to college!
Today, I would like to turn things over to guest-blogger Mr. Chris Hill. As one of the two college guidance counselors at Oak Hill Academy, he has a lot to be proud of this time of the year:
This is an exciting time of year at Oak Hill, the weather is changing, seniors are getting excited about graduation, and our College Advising Department sees more and more college acceptances every day. At this point 100% of our seniors have submitted applications to their desired schools, and are awaiting news from those schools or making important commitment decisions.
We are proud of all our seniors and their accomplishments during their time at Oak Hill. The application process is truly a team effort. College lab bustles with activity from September 1st until the last week of school. As the College Advisor I would like to spot light one student in particular. It has been my pleasure to have him in class for two years as my ESOL student. I have watched him grow academically and become a much loved and respected member of our community. Koh “Peter” Hatekeyama, although currently living in China, was born in Japan. Peter has embraced his mixed cultural heritage. It gives him a uniqueness that is rare amongst our International students. He has certainly faced challenges here in the US, but as a Japanese speaking student growing up in China he overcame great cultural challenges as well as linguistic ones. Now tri-lingual, he has been an asset to our student body. As one of the managers of our undefeated Warrior basketball team, Peter challenged himself in and out of the classroom. He has had a daunting schedule this year. Keeping up with admissions deadlines, traveling the country with the team (as far as Hawaii on one occasion), all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout his senior year. He is a member of the Nation Honor Society, he was a member of the Junior Marshalls at our 2014 graduation, and has been a starting player on the Oak Hill Academy Soccer team for two years.
All of his accomplishments and hard work culminated last week with his acceptance to Seattle University. Peter is especially proud that Seattle University took the last line of his college essay; “I am certain that confidence together with my hard work will lead me to a bright future”, and created a poster for distribution for its admissions department. Peter is still awaiting word from a few other schools as admissions departments send out their final letters. Regardless of where he chooses to attend college, we believe that final line of his essay says it all, and that his confidence and hard work will indeed lead Peter to a bright future.
Discovering new talents at Oak Hill Academy – Guitar Class
Watching kids discover a new talent or renew a passion for an old talent is one of the coolest things about working at Oak Hill Academy. The Arts programs here provide the important opportunities to make that happen. Our music department offers guitar classes for beginners through advanced. Our percussion classes inspire some kids to express themselves through drum (as the music room is located next to my office, I’m happy to say they are getting pretty good!), traditional band instruments and a strong chorus round out this program. As with the visual arts and theatre program, students discover talents and have opportunities to display those talents. Over the years, we’ve also helped some students to realize their dreams of pursuing music in college programs.
In homeroom yesterday, we were treated to a performance of the classic, “Stand By Me” by members of Ms. Callison’s beginner guitar class. Starting with Mason Higgs’ strong bass line and punctuated with the soulful stylings of Joe Hampton, the group did a tremendous job and started the day on a great note. I’m always amazed to see different sides of our students. The last time I had seen Joe (the night before), he was dunking on someone during Oak Hill Academy‘s record-setting final home basketball game of the season!
I look forward to discussing with prospective applicants the different opportunities offered at Oak Hill Academy outside of the academic classroom. There is a lot going at Oak Hill!
l to r: Mason Higgs, Jake Levinson, Reed Mingione, Ms. Callison, Joe Hampton and Brendan Cruz take the stage in homeroom.
Oak Hill Academy – Boarding School Life on “The Hill”
I spend a lot of time on the phone with prospective families “painting a picture” of campus life here at Oak Hill Academy. I recently created a slideshow to use on my upcoming trip to the Latin School Fair organized by The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), of which we are a long-standing member. I’m so excited to be meeting families from Mexico City, Moterrey, Panama City and Bogota in upcoming weeks. I’ll be sure to take some interesting footage to share on a future blog! I’m really looking forward to meeting the newestOak Hill Academy Warriors in their homelands.
I’ve decided to go ahead and share that slideshow with you here, from the admission desk, so you can see the excitement, diversity and beauty of campus and, most of all, “who” we are! Please contact me at mrodgers@oak-hill.net or visit our website at Oak Hill Academy to learn more. Enjoy and stay tuned.
Click Here for the slideshow: Presentation1
Also please take some time to view our YouTube Channel.
And our latest Video of our Homecoming Dance 2015!
Oak Hill Academy Stories – A New Feature!
As a new feature to our Admissions Blog, I will be profiling some recent graduates and current Oak Hill Academy students in the coming weeks.
Kekoa Iskandar, Class 0f 2013
In the past several years, our Art Program has experienced serious growth and several benchmark successes. We have added an AP Art class, started a Creative Innovations club and have helped a few of our recent students prepare for, and navigate the art school admission process. Kekoa, now in his second year at Parsons New School of Design, represents one of our more interesting stories. His dream of entering the fashion design world presented a challenge to our art teacher. We do not have a formal class for this specific field. Instead, Ms. Luksic helped Kekoa, through our advanced art classes, develop an independent study program which enabled him to create the portfolio and academic transcript that opened the doors to the prestigious Parsons New School of Design. This was Kekoa’s dream school, and the campus in New York City, his dream location.
I believe Kekoa’s Oak Hill story illustrates a couple of keystones of our school. We are relational and personal in our approach to our students. His relationship with Ms. Luksic paved the way for the many personal hours she spent challenging him and helping him “tailor” (pun intended) his course work to highlight the skills necessary in fashion design. We are also very individual and offer a great deal of flexibility in developing a course of study that meets our students interests and future plans. By partnering with other departments on campus, Kekoa found opportunities to make the costumes for our Theatre productions and he was encouraged to display his work on campus. For example, some of his creations were even seen on some classmates at our spring formal dance!
I caught up with Kekoa recently to discuss his experience at Oak Hill Academy.
Mr. Rodgers: Why do you think you were so successful at Oak Hill Academy?
Kekoa: I think it was my individuality – I’m so different from everyone. I was the art kid, I brought a new perspective but I was able to immerse myself in the environment at Oak Hill Academy and that was encouraging.
Mr. Rodgers: You grew up living in Indonesia. Describe the diversity on our campus and how that feels to an international student.
Kekoa: There is so much diversity at Oak Hill Academy, we were all adjusting and accepting of each other. It helped knowing I wasn’t the only one adjusting. I would definitely recommend Oak Hill to other international students. The small environment allows you to really find yourself.
Mr. Rodgers: Describe the relationships you remember from Oak Hill.
Kekoa: Ms. Luksic (Art Teacher) will always and forever be the most insightful, reassuring and encouraging teacher I have ever had. She pushed me to a point where I could produce work I was truly proud of – I’m eternally grateful. She took the time to develop projects that pushed me in terms of fine art and illustration along with my fashion work. Also, Mrs. Groves (Guidance Department) was my guardian angel in the college acceptance process.
Mr. Rodgers: Do you feel your experience at a small boarding school like Oak Hill Academy prepared you for college?
Kekoa: I definitely felt prepared. My time at Oak Hill Academy, looking back, was quick and it was intense. I basically grew out of being the awkward art student to a more confident person. I developed high expectations for myself. I knew I wanted to pursue fashion and there I was able to set my mind and goals. I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.
Please continue to check in with our blog or contact me to find out more about our school. We would love to be a part of your student’s success story!
Kekoa was commissioned to create the cover art for his nation’s most popular design magazine in 2013 for their series on Patterns in Design. It showcases his versatility as an artist.
NEW! Oak Hill Academy VLOG – Video Blogs
Here are some brief interviews with a few students returning to campus after our recent Christmas break. Stay tuned for more Oak Hill Academy on-campus videos!
Currently conducting tours and accepting applications for limited spaces for 2015 Spring Semester, which starts Jan. 5 for new students.
Also considering applications for Fall 2015!
http://www.oak-hill.net
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