PITTSBURGH, PA – August 30, 2016 –Oakland Catholic High School welcomes Alumna and Gold Medalist Rower Amanda Polk back to her alma mater on Thursday, September 8^th for an all school morning assembly. Polk was one of two Alumnae representing the U.S.A., and Oakland Catholic High School, in this year's Olympic Games in Rio. Oakland Catholic has a student body of 560 and is the only all girls' Catholic high school in Western Pennsylvania.

A member of the OCHS Class of 2004 and native of Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood, Amanda Polk rowed in the historically dominant U.S Women's Eight Boat. Polk and her teammates took gold in the event, winning the boat its third consecutive Olympic gold medal.

Polk first started her rowing career at Oakland Catholic High School during her sophomore year as a way to train for the basketball season. In addition to earning national rankings in rowing while still in high school, Polk also went undefeated during her senior season. Her athletic success was matched by her excellence in the classroom as a hardworking honors student. After graduating from Oakland Catholic High School, Polk attended Notre Dame University where she holds the distinction of being the most decorated rower in the program's history.

The September 8^th assembly will be an opportunity for the students of Oakland Catholic High School to connect with Amanda on a personal level. It was not that long ago she was walking the same halls as current OC students, and her inspiring journey to the Olympics has been one of a relentless pursuit of achieving her goals. In addition to a talk given by Polk to everyone gathered in the school's Donahue Pavilion, Administration will honor Amanda in several special ways and the students will have the opportunity to ask questions about her experience as a Gold Medal Olympian.

The entire Oakland Catholic High School community enthusiastically awaits the return of this decorated Alumna.

About Oakland Catholic High School

Founded in 1989 by the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Oakland Catholic (OC) High School is a Catholic college preparatory school for young women in grades 9-12 that is committed to promoting spirituality, scholarship and service. Located in the educational heart of the city, the school serves an ethnically, socio-economically, and geographically diverse population of approximately 580 students from the City of Pittsburgh as well as forty-four suburban school districts. OC ranks as one of the top 20 Catholic high schools in the nation for academics and one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the nation overall, as named by the Acton Institute for Academic Excellence. Visit: http://oaklandcatholic.org.