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Recently, senior Bailey Garcia had the opportunity to interview OHHS Alumni Derek and Dustin Ross, for the Oak Hills Tartan, and find out "Where Are They Now"?

Most students look forward to the day when they graduate and move on to the “real world.” The underclassmen left at the high school rarely hear from many of those alumni again. Thus, leading to the Tartan’s goal of discovering the lives of Oak Hills alumni, with our newest feature called “Where Are They Now?”

In this edition we uncover the lives of Derrek and Dustin Ross who graduated from Oak Hills in 2012.  Their time spent in high school was surrounded by football, basketball, and spending quality time with friends.  The pair also conveniently worked at the same restaurant, Marco’s Pizza. School was most enjoyable in class with Mrs. Bareswilt or Mr. Boles, two of their favorite teachers.  Involvement in extracurriculars and socializing with friends was a big part of both Derrek and Dustin being successful, as it adequately prepared both for college and life after school.  

It was no surprise that the twins ended up attending the same college, Yale University.  Their time there was spent both on the football field and in the classroom, as they chose to continue their football career as well.  Derrek and Dustin also majored in economics together.

The transition from high school life to college life was fairly easy for them as Oak Hills prepared them well for the difficulty of college life. because of the life the pair both led in Oak Hills High School.  Dustin advises high school students to “be prepared for the academic intensity and responsibility that comes with attending college,” and to engage in as many friendships as possible, making sure to meet new people from new places.  With this in mind, Derrek states that it is important to “find what you’re passionate about and give it everything” ensuring yourself the best life after college.

After graduating college, the twins decided to pursue what each of them were passionate about.  Their majors in college led both of them to the same career field of economics. Dustin is a finance associate at Stone Canyon Industries in Los Angeles.  Derrek is a Private Equity Associate in New York City.

Alumni make our community great.  Graduating from Oak Hills High School leaves one with life-long friends and a reason to be proud everytime you come home and visit.  Dustin states he is proud to be an Oak Hills alumni because of the “continued record of success the school and its alumni have.”  He expresses how proud he is to see current students succeed both in the classroom and on the field. Dustin is “honored to see many of my classmates go on to do meaningful things with their education to positively affect the world, and I can only expect them to do so more in the future.”  

Likewise, Derrek is also very proud to be a graduate from Oak Hills High School.  He explains that “the Oak Hills community gives back what you put in. With some of the most invested teachers, staff, and coaches, a student who chooses to work hard and achieve their goals is given the support to accomplish anything.”  Becoming a part of the Oak Hills alumni is something to be proud of, it’s a great community built from students and teachers who make it great. Derrek concludes that “I’m proud to say that I’m part of a community that challenges and encourages the students who choose to invest in themselves.”