Five Oak Knoll School alumnae returned to campus on Friday, February 6, 2026,  to speak with Upper School students about their career journeys, leadership experiences, and the ways their Oak Knoll education continues to shape their work.

Representing fields including global health, finance, communications, fashion, and food media, the panel offered students a firsthand look at both traditional and emerging industries. While their professional paths differed, the alumnae shared common themes: taking initiative, seeking mentorship, embracing challenges, and leading with integrity.

“The best thing I got from Oak Knoll was the confidence to do the things that I felt really uncomfortable doing, before I really knew how to do them,” said Carolyn Grillo ’07, a food writer and editor who has produced segments for Emmy-nominated programs. “So, things like going to France while not speaking French or going into a professional kitchen for the first time. These were things that I felt really uncomfortable or nervous doing, but I had the confidence to do them and really believed that I was going to be OK, and I think that that confidence really started here at Oak Knoll.”

Dr. Patricia Mechael ’92, CEO of health.enabled and professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that, despite later attending schools such as Johns Hopkins Medical School and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, she attributes more to Oak Knoll.

“I can trace almost everything back to Oak Knoll,” Dr. Mechael said, noting that alumni office staff at both schools often ask her if their institutions shaped her career and provided her with leadership skills. “And I’m like, ‘No, actually it was Oak Knoll.’ Oak Knoll really set me on that path.”

Panelists also included Anu Narayanan ’93, President of Women’s & Home at Anthropologie Group; Elizabeth Gregory ’14, Vice President in Teneo’s Strategy and Communications practice; and Jessica Roy ’04, Director and Human Capital Business Partner at KKR.

Following the discussion, students engaged in a Q&A session focused on career pivots, building credibility, and balancing professional ambition with personal values. The conversation reinforced a central message: the confidence, critical thinking, and leadership skills developed at Oak Knoll extend far beyond the classroom.