At Oak Hill Academy, our core values are community, moral courage, responsibility, and transformation. These concepts provide the framework for what we do, how we build, and where we go. Each depends on the others, and all are integral to our school’s mission.
Transformation takes time and can’t be measured on a small scale. Just ask the impatient child who wants to stand against the growing wall daily. But as commencement approaches and our graduates begin their college journeys, the thorough and dramatic change of transformation comes more fully into view as the lens of transition brings it into focus.
Quantitative academic improvement is the norm here, made possible in part by Oak Hill Academy’s well-structured academic program and enriching coursework. Measurable gains in GPA and test scores are vital, and open many doors of opportunity for our students—from college acceptances to scholarships.
Here, academic transformation is just one component of a larger context and broader personal growth. Because we are a boarding school, everything our students learn and experience on campus is part of the curriculum. With this appreciation of holistic growth in mind, we value qualitative transformation as much as quantitative.
Oak Hill Academy students report being more prepared for adult life by virtue of having lived here in what we call “structured independence.” Thanks in large part to our Residential Life program, our students gain a wide variety of life skills. They understand the importance of choosing their friends wisely. They’ve learned to collaborate in a new and diverse community, and how to contribute meaningfully to it. They’ve come to appreciate the connection between effort and outcome and can effectively self-advocate. They can communicate, solve problems and think critically. They’ve learned to serve others and care for themselves. And they’ve made lifelong friends who have helped them transform from nervous to confident, uncertain to resolved, immature to dependable. And what a pleasure it is to watch this element of transformation. Oak Hill Academy graduates are prepared for life after high school in every way, and we are proud of them.
