Get to Know Dr. Helvey, Incoming Head of School
Dr. Cameron Helvey's connection to Oakwood School began on its very first day. As a student in Oakwood's founding year, he watched this campus grow from portable classrooms into the thriving institution it is today. Now, nearly three decades later, he steps into the role of Head of School — bringing with him a career built across three countries, five states, three degrees, and a lifelong commitment to students and learning.
Dr. Cameron Helvey’s educational journey began in 1998, as a student during the school’s founding year. None of the buildings on campus were completed, so the students and teachers spent the year in portable classrooms on the other side of the parking lot while the campus began to take shape. Since that first year, both Oakwood and Cameron have grown in unique and parallel ways.
As an Oakwood student, Dr. Helvey developed a love of learning that propelled him toward an educational path spanning multiple continents and some of the world’s most prestigious institutions. After graduating high school, Dr. Helvey attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. During his undergraduate years, he took a two-year break from his studies to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Northeast Brazil, where he became fluent in Portuguese. Dr. Helvey received his Bachelor of Science in Teaching Social Science with a minor in History Teaching from BYU, also receiving a minor in Nonprofit Business Management from the Marriott School of Business and the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance National Certification (CNP) in Nonprofit Management and Leadership.
While at BYU, Dr. Helvey met and married Mckenzie, a graduate of Brigham Young University’s McKay School of Education, receiving her degree in Elementary Education, specializing in children’s literacy. After graduation, they moved to Guangzhou, China, where they both taught at Clifford International School, Mckenzie as a 5th grade teacher and the Girls Varsity Volleyball Head Coach, and Dr. Helvey in the American high school program, teaching United States History, World History, and AP Human Geography, with responsibilities in athletics, student leadership, and student activities.
Upon returning to the United States, Dr. Helvey taught AP World History and AP United States History at Pinewood School in Los Altos, California, before heading to the East Coast to further his studies and his career in independent school education. The Helveys moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where Dr. Helvey accepted a role at The Hun School of Princeton, an independent day/boarding school for students in grades 6-12. At Hun, Dr. Helvey taught AP U.S. Government and Politics, Constitutional Law & American Society, U.S. History, and Civics, coached high school boys basketball, advised student leadership programs, and was the Associate Director of Resident Life of the 200-student boarding school program.
During his time on the East Coast, Dr. Helvey also attended and graduated from New York City’s Columbia University Teachers College, Graduate School of Education, completing his Master of Arts in Teaching of Social Studies with an emphasis in educational leadership. During his studies at Columbia, Dr. Helvey was named a James Madison Senior Fellow at Georgetown University, a prestigious award recognizing his expertise in constitutional history, government, and politics. As part of his fellowship, Dr. Helvey spent a summer studying the founding era and the Constitution in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
The last stop on Dr. Helvey’s educational and career journey before returning to Oakwood was Nashville, Tennessee, where he attended the #1-ranked educational leadership program in the country, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education, receiving his Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) in K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy. As part of his studies, Dr. Helvey conducted research for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) on the topic of political polarization and its impact in school settings. That research led to Dr. Helvey visiting independent schools throughout the country and multiple speaking engagements, including at the NAIS Annual Conference.
While in Tennessee, Dr. Helvey was the Dean of Students at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School (SAS), an independent day/boarding school for students in grades 6-12 on a picturesque 550-acre campus on the Cumberland Plateau. At SAS, he managed a team of dedicated faculty and staff in the following areas: residential life, student leadership, advisory and grade-level programming, student health and wellness, student support and retention, as well as responsibilities in faculty recruitment and evaluation, admissions, development, athletics, and strategic leadership.
Upon returning to Oakwood as the Associate Head of School in the summer of 2024, Dr. Helvey was already a familiar face for many on campus, having been part of the Oakwood staff at various times and in various roles since 2006. In his role as Associate Head of School, Dr. Helvey has overseen enrollment, marketing & communications, development, business and operations, athletics, and other all-school initiatives, including strategic collaboration across the Lower School, Middle School, and High School, while continuing to teach high school courses. He is currently a recipient of the Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads from the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which involves coursework and leadership training from experienced Heads of School throughout the country.
Dr. Helvey and his wife, Mckenzie, have four children and live in Morgan Hill where they enjoy biking, hiking, swimming, playing at the local parks, going to the downtown Farmers’ Market, and cheering on the local professional sports teams (especially the 49ers and the Giants). Although he could not have known nearly 30 years ago when he took his first step on campus, its opening day, his life since then has truly prepared him for the role of Head of School and led him back to where he will shape another generation of Oakwood students to make a positive impact on the world.