While commencement remained several days away, the Class of 2026 marked an important milestone with their induction into the Oak Knoll Alumni Association, joining a sisterhood spanning generations.

In a ceremony held on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in the Mother Mary Campion Center for the Performing Arts, in front of teachers, administrators, and family, a consistent theme quickly emerged: the enduring impact of an Oak Knoll education extends far beyond academics.

“The world tells you success is measured by titles, followers, or achievements. Oak Knoll has taught you something different,” said Katie Cummings Siegfried ’03, president of the Alumni Association.

Head of School Jennifer G. Landis took it one step further, extolling the gifts of the senior class and their embrace of the year’s theme, “All in, All Year.”

“You have shown us, as Pope Leo says, ‘A heart open to others, an intelligence willing to listen, and a will that seeks what unites rather than what separates,’” Landis said, drawing on themes from Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanicas (“Magnificent Humanity”), which emphasizes relationships, compassion, and the shared dignity of humanity.

“Take your magnificent humanity beyond our walls and share it with the world,” she added.

The bonds of sisterhood were on full display as two senior moms, members of the Class of 1993, spoke about the pride of being an alumna as well as the gifts of the relationships students have enjoyed over the last several years and those yet to be realized.

Kate Barrett McGinty ’93, mom of Maris McGinty ’26, spoke of connection — both the bond she shares with her classmates and the sisterhood she shares with generations of Oak Knoll graduates who came before and after her.

“Looking at all of you today, I’m so proud to be an Oak Knoll alum, to share a sisterhood with so many women of promise, and to be part of a network that remains deeply rooted, connected, and always here for one another,” she said.

McGinty’s classmate and the mother of Kaitlyn Wincko ’26, Amy Kitchell Wincko ’93, agreed and said the Class of 2026 is only beginning to understand the depth of the connections they have formed.

“Years from now, the friend sitting next to you today may stand next to you at your wedding. The girl across the room may call you when something hard happens. Someone in the second row may be at your child’s first day of school,” Wincko said.

“Some of them you already know, and some are going to surprise you, but she’s here. You just don’t know it yet because some of the best things Oak Knoll gives you don’t arrive until long after you have left.”

She reminded students that “the people next to you are not just the people you’re going to school with. They are the foundation for everything that comes next.”

As she concluded, she reflected that “some of the best things Oak Knoll gives you don’t arrive until long after you have left.”