O'Hara Family Believes Education is the Key to Freedom

For the O'Haras, endowing a scholarship at Chaminade is a reflection of the couple's strong values and upbringing. Both Doris and Michael, P '99, P'02, had come from immigrant families—his, Irish, and hers, Italian—that esteemed education above all.

The newly established O'Hara Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship will make a Chaminade education within reach of students who otherwise might not be able to attend. The scholarship is need-based, for students with at least a B average. While it doesn't fund the total cost of a Chaminade education, the scholarship will ease the way, enabling Chaminade to attract and retain a diversified student body.

"If you educate a person, you educate more than just one person," Mrs. O'Hara said. "Education is really the key to freedom."

Mr. O'Hara was a newspaper reporter before the couple came to California in 1976 and he started his own production companies. Mrs. O'Hara worked as an English teacher at Chaminade for several years before their two children, Mariah '99 and John '02, enrolled. Both valued their time at Chaminade, and John still looks up classmates when he is in town from New York for a visit. He feels that Chaminade prepared him well for life after college.

"People at Chaminade, and Chaminade families," said Mrs. O'Hara "are really good human beings. The school has had a wonderful effect on our lives."

Mrs. O'Hara had always admired the moral component in Chaminade's overall mission.

"In these troubled times it is important that upcoming generations understand the difference between right and wrong and the need for personal accountability," she explained.

"I only give to worthy causes I have personally vetted or organizations that have high marks for spending their contributions effectively," she said. "And Chaminade is a quality school that graduates quality people."

The new endowed scholarship is truly a gift that keeps on giving, especially when Mrs. O'Hara thinks about how they may be helping someone to attend Chaminade. She feels strongly that a Chaminade education should be available to any student who qualifies for admission. The new scholarship will help ensure that all deserving students have a chance to attend, regardless of their family's economic circumstances.

"Maybe you've never thought of giving to a scholarship before," Mrs. O'Hara said, "but it's important to keep Chaminade a broad-based institution. If you've been fortunate in life, maybe you can afford to be generous. Even funding the cost of a student's books for a year will help."

Like the O'Haras, won't you consider establishing a scholarship this year at Chaminade? Our Advancement office is happy to advise you on ways you can make that happen.