O'Dowd in Brief
News for O'Dowd alumni, parents, and friends

Finding God in All Things
October 2020
CALL FOR PRAYERS - ALL SOULS' DAY
All Souls' Day, November 2, is an occasion of prayer and remembrance for our departed loved ones. We invite you to honor your deceased relatives and friends by sharing their names for Father Jim Sullivan to include in his prayers on this special day. Please submit names by October 29, including class year for deceased alumni.

Grant them eternal rest, o Lord,
And let perpetual light shine upon them. Rest in peace.
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE: ADVANCED ATHLETICS
This month, O’Dowd’s new Athletic Director, Carlos Reed, kicked off Advanced Athletics, a series of workshops designed to teach student-athletes the values and skills gained through competition, even while they can’t yet play together. “We are preparing our student-athletes to face competition and struggle in new ways,” Carlos said. The first workshop, “Use Your Voice,” with alum Scott Brooks ’90, professor at Arizona State University, focused on athlete activism and had more than 100 student-athletes and coaches in attendance. Read more about Advanced Athletics
NEXT THURSDAY, OCT 29: TRANSFORMING LIVES DINNER
REGISTER NOW for O’Dowd’s largest tuition assistance and scholarships fundraiser - The Transforming Lives Dinner (TLD). “We’re using a virtual platform that lets you join a table with your friends and have space for just reconnecting,” describes Donna Cala, Manager for Events and Stewardship at O’Dowd. “You’ll be able to visit other tables and have one-on-one conversations, all while enjoying a catered meal delivered to your home.” The string quartet, jazz bands, symphonic band and choir will perform, while we hear directly from students about their school experiences. Read more about TLD and REGISTER, for free, today!
PLAYING FOR OUR FUTURE: ELECTION SCOREKEEPING
Our championship basketball coach and alum, Lou Richie ’89, is challenging coaches and players across the Bay Area to compete in a new way - for voter registration.
Lou’s tremendous efforts are the feature of a recent San Francisco Chronicle article. "There's no losers here," says Richie. "Generations from now, we'll look back at 2020 as perhaps the most historic and important election on record. These young people have gone out and been a part of it." Read the full story
Celebrating the Future
THE COR UNUM CAMPAIGN FOR THE O'DOWD CENTER

The Future of Performance
In addition to academic excellence and competitive athletics, O’Dowd is widely known for the strength of our performing arts programs. “In theatre, we are humanitarians,” says Trina Oliver. Lovingly called “Mizz O” by students, Trina jokingly refers to herself as “Queen Fabulous,” and has been teaching theatre arts at O’Dowd for over 20 years. “We make change by telling stories. That’s our charism for social justice. We help people see the world differently, and we motivate them to action.”
O'Dowd Students and the O'Dowd Center
O’Dowd’s performing arts program is poised to build on its rich history. The Cor Unum Campaign for the O’Dowd Center includes new state-of-the-art Music and Drama studios - spaces for dance, ensemble performance, rehearsal space, instruction, and recording.

The Center is the next chapter in our school’s commitment to the arts. “As a new teacher, it’s super clear to me how much O’Dowd supports and values the arts,” enthuses Ashkon Davaran, O’Dowd’s new theatre arts teacher, who acted and taught in New York City before returning home to the Bay Area. Trina agrees. “Our theatre department is extraordinary because we’re professionals with advanced degrees,” she notes. “Our philosophy is not to do ‘great high school theatre.’ We aspire to produce great theatre, period.” The O’Dowd Center will continue to support that mission for generations to come.

Learn about O’Dowd’s newest production, and consider making a gift to the Cor Unum Campaign for the O’Dowd Center. Every single gift, no matter the size, will be matched by the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation, doubling the impact of your generosity.
Campus News
FINDING YOUR WINGS
Our Campus Ministry Team and Fr. Jim Sullivan led a "Finding Your Wings" Mass for seniors and their families. Seniors shared sweet words of gratitude for all the ways their parents and extended families have loved them, and Fr. Jim preached from the Gospel of Luke (2:41-52), reminding us all to treasure the time we have together. Watch the Mass
ELECTION 2020: STUDENTS SPEAK OUT
Khalil Mayden ’22 was featured in a KQED election story, along with students across California, sharing the reasons he is motivated to get politically involved. "As a young, black man in America, my main issue is racism,” stated Khalil. He reminded listeners to look at the historical legacy of oppression to understand how pivotal the current election is. Listen to the whole segment
A WINNING PERSPECTIVE
Varsity girls basketball star, Kennedy Johnson ’21, was featured in a CalHi Sports story about her experience with another deadly virus: H1N1. When COVID-19 struck and her team lost their shot for the state championship, Kennedy was heartbroken, but understanding. She was hospitalized with H1N1 when she was just six. "This pandemic has taught me to be grateful for the opportunities you have," she says. Kennedy is headed to UC Santa Barbara with a basketball scholarship next fall. Watch the full story
TRANSFORMING SENIOR LIVES WITH HEALTHY FOOD
14 of our students are volunteering every Wednesday with the Mercy Brown Bag Program, helping to deliver groceries to over 5,000 vulnerable low-income Alameda County seniors every month. We are grateful that Brown Bag has given our students this opportunity to meaningfully serve, heeding our charism’s call to community in diversity, social justice, and strength of character. Read the story
Alumni News
O'DOWD ALUMNI, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
We care about what you think and hope you will fill out this very brief (6 questions) alumni survey. Your feedback will help O’Dowd serve you better. Thank you for completing the survey and sharing your experiences by October 30.
CLIFF POLLARD ’02 is navigating through COVID to lead his business, Cream Co. Meats, to continued success. “We wanted to keep the ranchers and butchers that make our work possible in business, and we found that the direct-to-consumer model was the best way to do that,” Cliff said. Check out their ethical, sustainable and pandemic-friendly delivery services, including Bunker Boxes.

DREW GLOVER 04 co-founder of market firm Fiat Growth, sees COVID as an opportunity for change. “This is the biggest entrepreneurial shift we’ll see in our times. New businesses are being created that would’ve never been otherwise, ” Drew says. He credits O’Dowd with making him adaptable. “O’Dowd instilled a strong work ethic in me, and exposed me to people from so many diverse backgrounds. That experience helped me communicate with different people once I graduated.”
JESSE BYRD ’05 is bringing a new perspective to NPR’s board room. As a Black author, and owner of a diversity-focused book publishing company, Jesse is NPR’s youngest Black board member. He is a longtime NPR listener and shared, “I plan to add my sincere lens to the spectrum of stories told and the perspectives from which they are told.”
SKYLER MAPES 10 co-founded olive oil company EXAU with her husband, Giuseppe Morisani, and together they harvest, press, and bottle extra virgin olive oil blends from his family’s olive trees in Calabria. She plans to develop an apprenticeship to bring more women of color into the olive oil industry. Her company was recently featured in Conde Nast Traveler.
Don’t forget to REGISTER for the Transforming Lives Dinner. Your attendance will help ensure that O’Dowd can continue to provide financial aid to more than 30% of our students – students who are vital community members, leaders, and contributors to O’Dowd’s diverse, engaging student culture and learning experience. Learn more about the event and  REGISTER NOW