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

Finding God in All Things
August 2021
STUDENTS LEAD WITH JOY
O’Dowd’s many leadership opportunities offer pathways for students to find and strengthen their gifts. Earlier this month student leaders participated in a two-day retreat to reflect on the type of leaders our community needs, especially returning to campus. “I am excited to be someone who can connect with new students and help them feel welcomed at O’Dowd,” shared Chase Lee ’22.
OLYMPIC ALUMNI
Dragon alumni represent with pride at the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics! Olympian Oderah Chidom '13 represented Nigeria in basketball and scored 13 points throughout the Group Phase of the tournament. Paralympian Charley Nordin '15 is representing the United States in rowing at the Paralympics. Charley is part of the Mixed Four with Coxswain team and will compete next weekend. Gooo, Dragons!
ART FROM THE LIVING LAB: A NEW MURAL COMES TO CAMPUS
Local artist Hannah Mode is creating a new mural for our Center for Environmental Studies. In July, she toured the Living Lab and collected plant clippings to use for her unique cyanotypes, an early form of photography. "By carefully layering the flowers, they block the sun to create a beautiful pattern," Hannah shared. "The entire exposure process takes about 20 minutes.” Learn more about Hannah, the process for making cyanotypes, and the mural.
THE KNICKS GET A DRAGON
Johnnie “JB” Bryant ’03 joined the New York Knicks as Associate Head Coach, after serving as Assistant Coach for the Utah Jazz from 2014 to 2020. Johnnie was a player on O’Dowd’s men's basketball team when they won the 2003 NCS Division I Championship, and took many of the lessons learned into his nine year career in NBA sports management. “Over the years, JB has given his knowledge, time, and mentorship to NBA players. He truly epitomizes Dragon Pride,” Coach Lou Richie shared. 
Campus News
RISING STARS
Congratulations to Kamora McCowan '22 and David Ponce '22 for being named SRA Rising Star Scholars! This highly selective program provides mentorship to students from the college application process to college graduation and career paths.
10TH GRADE SERVICE LEARNING
Dylan Feldman ’23 worked on a Tiny House Empowerment Village for his 10th Grade Service Learning Project. “We knew it was for a cause larger than ourselves,” he reflects. “These houses will help many other kids, some even the same age as us, find a home and community of their own.” Click here to learn more about this awesome project!
ALL AMERICAN DRAGON
Congratulations to Henry Littell '22 for being named a Lacrosse All American! Click here to read the press release.
THE MUSE IS OUT!
The Muse, O'Dowd's literary and art magazine, is out now! See the written word and visual art of our talented journalists.
Alumni News
MAURITA TOLER '07 joined O'Dowd as the Director of Alumni Engagement. "The O'Dowd community is unique because of the longstanding relationships built during students' four years on campus," Maurita shared. "I am excited to keep alumni engaged with each other and the entire community."
STEPHANIE FONG GOMEZ '08 graduated from her pediatric residency at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital and is now a pediatrician in the Bay Area.
CRYSTAL ROSAS '12 is the new co-host for the "Maxwell & Crystal" afternoon show on Z100 New York City. Listen for free every weekday 11:00am-3:00pm PST through the iHeart Radio app.
CAROLANNE LINK '13 received a grant from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and will be training for competitive wheelchair racing in preparation for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
GABRIEL PLASCENCIA '21 was named one of the Top 75 Bay Area Athletes by SportStars Magazine! He was a 3-year varsity player in both soccer and football. Congrats and Go Dragons!
ALUMNI SUMMIT - OCTOBER 6
Alumni are a powerful and integral part of the larger O’Dowd community. Our upcoming Alumni Summit is an opportunity to stay connected and build powerful relationships among our community. Join us on Zoom on Wednesday October 6 at 6:00pm for a fun event and a chance to share your life and career milestones with the O’Dowd community. 

If you are interested in attending, please complete this registration form by September 8, 2021.