Oak Hill Academy has a diverse student body. What does our diversity mean to us? It means a school community filled with young people from completely different backgrounds and from all over the United States and around the world.
Our students hail from places like France, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Antigua, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Cameroon, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, Aruba, China, Spain, Canada, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Thailand, Guatemala, and the United States.
With such an array of students living and learning together, our campus truly has an international dynamic.
An international destination
Here, tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains, students from 21 different countries and six continents come together on The Hill under a common mission. From far and wide, international students who are seeking a supportive, distraction-free school environment in America are drawn to our enriching academic program and scenic campus.
These students study, play, live, and work together, learning from each other and from one another’s diverse experiences along the way. These social interactions and relationships prepare our students for next steps beyond high school and to go forth from Oak Hill as more mature, thoughtful young adults.
A taste of life on a college campus
And thanks to our diverse student body, our campus is, in many ways, like a college campus. At Oak Hill, young people can meet and live with new friends, while also benefiting from our nurturing, tight-knit school community.
Students are given an unparalleled opportunity to grow academically and socially, and—thanks to our small-by-design student body and dedicated faculty and staff—expertly counseled and guided along the way as they prepare for higher education.
This level of structured independence isn’t easy to find in high schools or even other boarding schools. Oak Hill is proudly unique, offering a “home away from home” that gives students a preview of college life, but with added measures of supervision and support.
Meaningful connections and building relationships
While their backgrounds are diverse, our domestic and international students find their home at Oak Hill for many of the same reasons. Here, they know they can achieve academic success, cultivate personal growth, and become an integral part of a close community.
One of our international students, Lathi from South Africa, shared that he came to Oak Hill to improve his future and to make his family proud. He expressed that is important to retain and share his culture, while also becoming connected with his new school.
Critical to “becoming connected” is building healthy relationships. Lathi said, “It’s always good to listen to other people’s stories, and . . . I want to be that guy that you can talk to…. It’s about understanding how someone feels.”
International to our roots
International students have been with us since early in Oak Hill Academy’s history and are an important part of our school culture. We are also happy to welcome student ambassadors from Guatemala to our school once again this year, thanks to our partnership with Faces and Our Cultures. These students will be enmeshed in our Oak Hill community for six weeks, until December 7.
Whether you’re from far and away or close to home here in the Southeast, everyone knows, when you’re an Oak Hill Warrior, you’re part of the family, and the friends you make here last a lifetime.
As we celebrate our current students, we also welcome new students to apply. We are currently accepting applications for mid-year enrollment as well as for next fall—be sure to visit our website for more application details. Oak Hill Academy works with individual families to ensure a smooth application process from start to finish!
