Megan Sarsfield '13

"Oakwood is such a special place and had a huge impact on my life, so it is important to me to continue engaging in the Oakwood community even though it’s been over 10 years since my high school graduation. 

During my time at Oakwood, I had the unique experience of participating in and serving in a leadership position for many activities, including the volleyball team, the yearbook editor, the stage manager for the theater productions, and various roles on student council. My time management skills and attention to detail were put to the test, but I was also held to a high standard in my academics by my teachers. 

This was a crucial experience for me as it prepared me and allowed me to flourish in college, law school, and the workforce.  

I already knew how to juggle several tasks while maintaining good grades. Madame de Bree’s French class taught me how to learn and how to commit to learning a different language. I felt confident in my writing and reading skills in college and grad school after four years in Dr. Wilson’s classroom, and his lessons on how to write still reverberate in my approach to drafting a document to this day. Dr. Wilmot’s science classes taught me how to enjoy, take seriously and do well in a subject matter that was not related to the humanities. I’m so grateful for these experiences and these teachers. 

The member of the Oakwood community that has made the biggest impression on me is Madame de Bree. I first met Madame when I shadowed the high school as an 8th grader. She was so warm and welcoming to me. Madame then became my French teacher, and she fostered in me a deep love of all things French—especially their cinema and food—over my four years in her classroom. She allowed me and my classmates to be creative and take ownership of our work, but always held us accountable. She fostered thoughtful discussions and always respected everyone’s point of view. Outside of French class, Madame has always been one of my biggest supporters. Her unwavering confidence in me has made me confident, and she is still one of the first people I call to tell her about exciting news in my life. 

I have so many favorite memories of my time at Oakwood including: playing trivial pursuit on Fridays in Dr. Wilson’s class; creating cooking videos and skits in Madame de Bree’s French class; playing hide-and-seek at the high school sleepover; working on the spring musical programs with Mrs. Mathews during my study periods; watching the very first high school basketball games in support of my older brother Patrick ‘09; economics with Mr. Helvey during my senior year; and the two school trips to Europe during my freshman and junior years.

I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in classics, history and political philosophy at Baylor University and my Master’s Degree in history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. I worked in corporate affairs and government relations at a bank in San Francisco before pursuing my JD at the University of Notre Dame. I graduated from Notre Dame Law School this past May, took the bar exam in July, and recently began my career as an Assistant District Attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York City."

Megan Sarsfield ‘13