All STORIES

Rooted in Community, Carried Through Generations

By Kathy Canty Brown ’84 | O’Dowd Senior Director of Development Daughter of Tim Canty ’58, Parent of Joshua Brown ’12 & Rebecca Brown ’18 I’ve walked these halls as a student. I’ve stood on the sidelines as a parent. I’ve shown up each day as a staff member, first as a math teacher and later in the development office, committed to giving back to a place that gave so much to me. I’m one of many in a three-generation O’Dowd family - and I know I’m not alone. Over the past 75

3 days ago

Rooted in the East Bay: The Varni Family’s O’Dowd Story

Ava Bright ’28, Tony Varni ’57, Sara Varni Bright ’96. Tony Varni ’57 traveled from Hayward each day to attend Bishop O’Dowd High School. A graduate of All Saints Catholic School, he and his family were committed to continuing his Catholic education. “O’Dowd was the new Catholic high school,” says his grandson Graham Ramiza ’17, “and was a natural landing place with our family’s roots in the East Bay.” That legacy drew in Tony’s daughter, Sara Varni Bright ’96, who also

3 days ago

Transforming Lives Dinner – Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence

One Night, One Student, Infinite Possibilities The Transforming Lives Dinner celebrates the power of an O’Dowd education and the generosity that makes it possible. This year’s gala embraces the theme, “One student can change the world, one night can make it happen,” honoring both the students whose lives are transformed and the supporters who help make that transformation possible. The evening also celebrates our 75th anniversary and the decades of academic excellence, leade

Oct 14, 2025