Oakland Catholic High School
Oakland Catholic High School held its annual OC Career Symposium this past spring — virtually.
The dynamic event connects female leaders from various industries with students. This year’s remote event was even more expansive. Since March 2020, Oakland Catholic has conducted many successful online events — traditional ceremonies, musical cabarets, global competence showcases and open houses.
The limit on gatherings demanded continued innovation, despite in-person instruction since August.
OC Career Symposium 2021 demonstrated the school’s ability to do more than adapt to circumstances. Creativity and strategy made the event more impactful, with alumnae from around the world easily participating via the remote platform. True to the school’s mission, it was a global affair.
Keynote speaker and alumna Kathleen Foley Hughes rose early on the West Coast to deliver a moving presentation to students about how her background in finance, her entrepreneurial spirit and a passion to provide authentic employment for disabled individuals like her son, produced her visionary coffee shops that bear the name Ada’s Café (American Disability Act).
OC alumna Preeti Gupta, director of corporate affairs, BMW Group Asia, drank coffee all day to be ready late that night in Singapore to deliver an enthusiastic morning presentation.
Gillian Henker, OCHS Class of ’07, spoke to groups about her work as cofounder/CEO of Medical Device Engineering.
From her California home, Sarah Vagley Middleton, OCHS Class of ’97, engaged with OC Eagles about her passion for ensuring that the work you do is meaningful — to you and to the world.
Leaders like Dr. Claire Casper Yanta and Heather Worthy Wilson, both alumnae of the OC network, shared insight and experience with students interested in medicine, business and other areas.
Messages of finding value in your work, recognizing failure as part of the journey and taking advantage of opportunities when they arise resonated across sessions.
An impressive array of global talent came back to OC — the launch pad of so many amazing female leaders!
This advertorial was submitted by Oakland Catholic High School.
