News for O'Dowd alumni, parents, and friends
Finding God in All Things
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FUN AT ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR
As the sun set across the Bay Area, we welcomed nearly 100 alumni to campus for our annual Alumni Happy Hour. Everyone enjoyed delicious food and drinks while watching girls and boys basketball in the Knauss Family Gymnasium. Throughout the night, generations of Dragons connected with former classmates, met alumni from different decades, and visited with faculty members, with a particularly large group from the Class of 1986!
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O'DOWD FOOTBALL FEATURED
Earlier this month, the SF Chronicle wrote an article about O’Dowd Football Coach Hardy Nickerson. The article featured a recent team field trip to the SF MOMA, where the group enjoyed the most recent exhibit on art and sports. Inspired by his personal life experiences, Coach Nickerson hopes to expand the way his players think about the world, on and off the field. Read the article.
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ALUMS CREATE ORIGINAL MUSICAL
Adesha Johnson Adefela ’93 co-wrote the musical Co-Founders premiering in May 2025 in San Francisco. Adesha’s co-writer is Ryan Nicole Austin, wife of Michael Austin ’97, and working alongside her is Joy Meads ’97, Head of Dramaturgy. “This is a pivotal moment for us,” shares Adesha. “It’s exciting to be on this adventure with fellow Dragons!” Set in the Bay Area, the musical tells a story of two unlikely partners from different backgrounds and experiences following an impossible entrepreneurial dream.
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STUDENTS SHINE AT THE SCIENCE BOWL
Nine O’Dowd students competed in the Regional Science Bowl, a jeopardy-style competition covering all areas of math and science. Matching wits and knowledge against some of the top teams in the region, our Dragons advanced to the finals! “Our team worked hard to foster great knowledge across all STEM subjects and that allowed us to grow as competitors,” said Team Captain Toby Lee ’25. “We are grateful for all of the support through our academic journeys and scholarly dreams.”
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HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES: NEW CHOIR PROGRAM
Our new choir program is already making waves, with students rising to the challenge of an increasingly complex repertoire. "I have been blown away by the growth and progress this group has made since we started in August," says Choir Teacher Claire Chaix. This semester, students are diving into sight singing, a key skill for musicians. Beyond the music, the program has fostered a strong sense of community. "It’s been wonderful watching them support each other in and out of class."
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"ALL MY SONS" WOWS CROWDS
This winter’s dramatic production of All My Sons, written by famed playwright Arthur MIller, took place in the Erin Jaeb and Kelly Family Black Box Studio. The studio's intimate setting gave the sell-out audiences an up close and personal view of the performances which had the everyone leaving the theater emotional and astonished. Ocian Floyd-Haskell ’26, contributor for our student publication The Crozier wrote a review on the dramatic depiction of the famed play. Read the review.
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O'DOWD STUDENT-ATHLETES COMMIT TO COLLEGES
The following Dragons recently committed to continue their academic and athletic pursuits in college!
John Teti – Football – Princeton University
Benji Sharman – Baseball – College of Wooster
Riley Veenstra – Softball – Smith College
Jaella Mercado – Softball – University of California, Los Angeles
Chelsie Chin – Golf – University of California, Irvine
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STUDENTS FIND THEIR SUPERPOWERS
Last month, our 10th graders participated in our Superhero Retreat, their first overnight retreat experience at O’Dowd! The group traveled to San Damiano Retreat Center for a two-day retreat where they reflected on their gifts and talents through the lens of superheroes.
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SERVICE BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL
Seniors had an opportunity to learn from O’Dowd faculty about the power of service in both college and adult life, with the goal of empowering students to think about how they will serve in the future. With students fulfilling at least 100 service hours during their O’Dowd experience (and often more!), this was an important chance to reflect on how they can sustain a life of service after O’Dowd.
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CELEBRATING MS. LOEWINSOHN
Congratulations to Art Department Chair and Teacher Briana Loewinsohn for releasing her second graphic novel, Raised By Ghosts. Ms. Loewinsohn leads by example and inspires our students to be creative, learn new skills, and tell the stories that matter most.
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JOHNNIE BRYANT ’03 was recently appointed the Cleveland Cavaliers' Associate Head Coach. He was also on the coaching staff for the NBA All Star Game, hosted earlier this month in San Francisco.
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JESSICA ROCHA ’20 started a position at Morgan Stanley in San Francisco and was recently promoted to Team Administrator.
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SPENCER HERBERICH ’23 will be joining Bechtel Corporation this summer as a Mechanical Engineering intern working on-site in Port Arthur, Texas.
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March
9 Black History Celebration (2:00pm)
15 O' Dowd Crab Feed (6:00-9:00pm)
May
3 Alumni Reunion (2:00-7:00pm) - Purchase Tickets
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O'DOWD REUNION DAY - SATURDAY, MAY 3
We will celebrate milestones for the classes ending in 0s and 5s, with a special ceremony honoring the Class of 1975's 50th reunion and its first year into the Golden Era of celebrations, with a special invitation for classes 1955-75 to join us. The 50th will be followed by the reunion celebrations for the classes of 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. This is a 21+ event. Purchase tickets.
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