For Maria Alvarez Najera ‘17, by the time she arrived at Oakcrest for her junior year of high school, she had already studied at four different schools, including a high school in Shanghai, China. 

“Being able to close my last two years of high school at Oakcrest was very important in my formation as a whole person both academically and as a practicing Catholic,” Maria said, adding that Oakcrest provided the support she needed to transition from high school in Shanghai to meet the demands of the 11-12th grade curriculum at Oakcrest while giving her the foundation to successfully apply to medical school.  

After graduating from Oakcrest, Maria joined the International Medical School program at the University of Navarre. The six-year program, which Maria completed in May 2023, prepares students to take the Spanish National Medical Test, which Maria will take in January 2024 before starting her residency in her yet-to-be-determined chosen specialty. 

“I have enjoyed the opportunities to interact with patients throughout the different internships and rotations I have participated in during my program,” Maria said. 

Maria remembers upon her arrival at Oakcrest, being surrounded by “a phenomenal group of inspiring teachers,” she said. “They were filled with joy and passion for teaching that helped me to be successful. Dr. Kat Hussmann and her AP classes in chemistry and biology will keep a special place in my memory, as well as her push to develop in her students solid skills around critical thinking, problem solving, and how to read scientific papers, all of them cornerstones for a future medical student.” 

Outside the classroom, Maria joined the soccer team as a goalie and was the singles #1 tennis player while at Oakcrest. She joyfully recalls when the Oakcrest soccer team won the PVAC championship in 2016 and when she won the PVAC #1 tennis singles championship. Maria also was the secretary of the Respect Life Club, a topic that remains close to her heart especially entering the medical field, she said. 

“Oakcrest shaped the person I am today, and I mean well beyond just the academics,” Maria explains. “Oakcrest is able to offer the possibility for students to become well-rounded persons, fully ready for collegiate-level studies.”

She added that the Oakcrest curriculum provided her a strong foundation in both critical thinking and effective communication. “While focusing on these core skills, it gave me a solid knowledge on other subjects like history or literature that help me to be appreciative of the value of having a broader cultural base. Finally, and key for me as a future doctor, the strong focus on building awareness on the importance of the humanistic side of any discipline will help me as a patient-centered physician.”

Maria, who graduated as the Class of 2017 Student of the Year, said that when looking back at her time at Oakcrest, she is filled with overwhelming gratitude. “To me Oakcrest was the perfect ‘last stop’ after having been in four previous schools in several parts of the world,” she said. “It gave me what I needed to walk successfully into the college experience with full confidence in my academic skills and with a solid formation as a practicing Catholic. I will always keep a very fond memory of Oakcrest as it remains in a very dear place in my heart.”