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

Finding God in All Things
May 2021
DATA FOR CHANGE
Channing Nesbitt ’14 and Eillie Anzilotti ’09 have worked with a team to build a Racial Equity Data Hub for Tableau, an analytics platform based in Seattle. Co-led by Channing, the Hub has published three dashboards that highlight the severe impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on communities of color across the U.S., and provides data and tools to understand and take action against racism in all its forms. Read more from Ellie about the Hub HERE.
FIVE DRAGONS IN THE NFL
This month, three Dragons were drafted to the NFL. Alijah Vera-Tucker ’17 as a first round pick for the New York Jets. Jevon Holland ’18 went in the second round to the Miami Dolphins. And the New York Jets also signed Camilo Eifler ’16 as a free agent. They’ll join two more Dragons who are already in the NFL: Kevin King ’13 with the Green Bay Packers, and Hardy Nickerson, Jr ’12 with the Houston Texans. Read more about our football program HERE. Gooooo, Dragons!
EARTH WEEK AT O'DOWD
To honor, connect with, and stand up for our Earth, our Eco Leaders put together a full week of activities in April, including an action day at Lake Merritt. Since Lake Merritt drains into the Bay, our students cleaned up trash to help keep our waterways clean and healthy. Thanks for your powerful kinship with creation, Dragons! Check out their ENERGY video, too!
A BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Almost 300 alumni gathered virtually for our Grand Reunion, and the sense of Dragon community was astoundingly strong. Nicholas Williams ’90 and Nicki DeMarais Shaw ’81 were fantastic hosts, and special guests included President J.D. Childs, Tracey Broadhead Frith '85, and Brian Cushing '84. At next year's Grand Reunion we'll celebrate classes ending in 2 and 7!
RESPONDING TO TRAGEDY
Eric Jones ’94, paramedic and founder of Sea Valor, responded as a volunteer to help the Pruthi family, whose young son was swept to sea in January. Eric’s search efforts are reported in an article about the danger of sneaker waves by the SF Chronicle. Eric was also awarded the Medal of Valor for his rescue work on 9/11. Read more about his work with Sea Valor HERE.
HOMETOWN HERO
Lisa Bender ’07, an Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputy, came to the rescue of a frantic father last month. The man was being conned by scammers to wire ransom money to Mexico in exchange for his daughter. Bender, who works at Oakland International, worked fast to make sure his daughter was safe, preventing him from losing thousands to criminals. Read more!
EQUITY AND BELONGING - A STRONGER O'DOWD COMMUNITY

The ongoing social and racial reckoning in our nation called us to deeply reflect, refocus, and renew our commitment to equity, justice and belonging at O’Dowd to intentionally enact our mission and Charism. Today, we are happy to invite you to learn more about our ongoing work to ensure that all members of our community experience true belonging. View O’Dowd’s Equity and Belonging Action Plan.
Campus News
In-Person Graduation! We are thrilled that after social distancing most of the year, we are able to host an on-campus graduation! Check out the Class of 2021 page to view our senior spotlights and other celebrations. We are delighted to welcome senior families in person for Baccalaureate Mass at the Cathedral of Christ and Commencement on O'Dowd's lower field. Congratulations, Class of 2021!
Our Varsity Women's Rugby team finished the 2021 “COVID” rugby season with a resounding victory over league rival Carondelet. In a best of three Rugby Sevens match play, the O'Dowd Ladies swept: Match One 15-5, Match Two 22-0, and Match Three 20-0. We’re looking forward to watching next year’s team. Goooo, Dragons!
Public Art: Thinking Critically about Memorializing the Past! This semester, our AP English students engaged in rich scholarship and debate on issues related to public art, including a guest lecture from Professor James Campbell, who teaches US History at Stanford.
 
“Monuments and memorials invite us to reflect on who we are,” said Alejandra Mart ’22, “"including what we cherish about our past, and where we need to make amends.” Read more!
Dragon Talks! In response to the Derek Chauvin trial in April, our student leaders guided a powerful, creative conversation for their peers. We heard many excellent strategies to make policing more responsive to community safety needs. Thanks for your thoughtful discussion, Dragons!
Alumni News
MICHAEL TUCEVICH ’66 attended UCLA, then UC Hastings College of Law, and spent thirty years serving as a federal judge. During his tenure, he co-authored the Missing Children's Bill, which was signed into law by President Reagan. Michael recently retired, and married Dana née Smith this month.
LANGSTON WALKER ’97, former NFL player, appeared on The Sports Medicine OrthoPod, a podcast hosted by sports specialist and MD ANTHONY YU ’97. The show explores the world of sports injuries, treatment, and recovery. Check out the episode here!
ERIN DANGERFIELD ’99, Golden State Warriors Vice President of Human Resources, was named in the 2021 San Francisco Business Times 40 Under 40 list, announced in January of this year. Read more!
DENISE WILLIAMS ’10, aka Denise Dianna, recently had her first solo art exhibition in Oakland. “Ruby’s Room“ opened on May 15 at Omiiroo Gallery and ran for a week. Check out her website!
LYDIA ASRAT ’11, is currently working as a manager for up-and-coming performer Doja Cat. Lydia has several song, production and film credits, including Doja Cat’s hit “Say So”. She was named a Variety Hitmaker in 2020 by Variety Magazine.
There is no limit to what young Dragons can achieve with an O'Dowd education. 
 
Those endless possibilities begin with you.
 
Your generosity helps make the O'Dowd experience possible and accessible for even more students. Please consider making a gift to support our students - people of character, compassion and commitment - Dragons ready to transform the world.