The elevator speech for a slow elevator
“Who does Oakdale serve? Who is your typical student?”
They say that you need to have an “elevator speech,” a prepared presentation that gets attention and says a lot in a few words, something that lasts about as long as an elevator ride. The point is to be able to share important information quickly when you meet someone who is interested in your organization.
Whenever someone asks me who we typically serve, I often think that they are asking for an “elevator speech” of sorts, expecting a short, concise answer. I find that really challenging! In fact, based now on almost 20 years of trying, I have decided that it is quite impossible to give a brief and informative answer to that question.
There is no quick answer to the question of who we serve because who we serve encompasses so many situations, and to generalize would be unfair to our students and their families. So I do my best to share the different scenarios in which a family chooses Oakdale for their child.
Sometimes, a student is seeking better experiences:
- a stronger educational program
- a multifaceted leadership program
- ministry opportunities
For others, family situations make Oakdale a good option:
- divorce or blended families
- being raised in a single parent home
- being raised by grandparents
- being adopted into a family
It is true that, for many families, Oakdale is serving as a solution for a crisis. Their child may be:
- falling through the cracks of their large public high school
- anxious or afraid to go to school
- having difficulty making friends
- falling into a negative peer group
In each of these situations, we are privileged to work with family members seeking only the best for their children!
