STUDENT LEADERSHIP
"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
- John F. Kennedy -
At O’Dowd, we believe students create our culture. And from the moment our 9th grade class steps on campus, O’Dowd’s curriculum and programs encourage students to explore their leadership. Today there are more than 100 students who serve on nine advanced leadership groups, shepherding critical elements of the school’s programming and initiatives. Through these opportunities, students realize their gifts, develop deep self-awareness, and contribute to communities across the East Bay and beyond.
Associated Student Body
The Associated Student Body is represented by an elected Executive Council, and each class has its own elected group. Working with the Director of Student Activities, Associated Student Body Leaders plan, organize and run all student activities, cultivating their leadership skills through their work on campus as well as off-campus leadership seminars.
Campus Ministry
O’Dowd’s emphasis on spiritual development, intertwined with advancing social and environmental justice, nurtures and sustains a diverse community of faith and learning for all students. Our Campus Ministry Team, a core group of seniors, guides all dimensions of Campus Ministry. They plan Masses and liturgies to be socially and culturally relevant. They find meaningful and accessible ways for all students to connect to their faith and spirituality through the lens of Catholicism. In all ways, the Campus Ministry Team works hard to make our mission and charism come to life.
Admissions Captains
Our Admissions Captains are leaders and role models on campus, introducing prospective students and parents to life at O’Dowd. As O’Dowd representatives, they share with our prospective students and families their positive, inclusive, and dynamic learning experiences at O’Dowd. Being an Admissions Captain is a tremendous privilege and responsibility.
Eco Leaders
The Eco-Leadership Team is an empowered group of seniors who take action to bring forward an environmentally sustainable and just community at O’Dowd and beyond. Eco Leaders act as stewards of the Living Lab, lead Eco Club, organize environmentally themed campus events, and work to implement initiatives that build sustainability on campus as well as in the greater community.
Health and Wellness Leaders
This group of seniors are advanced leaders who support the O’Dowd community in strengthening and sustaining physical, mental, and relational health and wellness through a peer education model. Health and Wellness leaders teach their peers through presentations and events, facilitated discussions, workshops, and public health awareness campaigns, gaining experience in preparation for careers in medicine, psychology, sociology, public health, or other health and wellness related professions.
Lead Peer Tutors
Supporting our Academic Support Center, Lead Peer Tutors are a carefully selected group of dedicated student tutors who have shown excellent leadership and service to their peers and fellow tutors. Lead Peer Tutors prepare for their leadership role with our Advanced Leaders Retreat at the beginning of the school year, and throughout each semester create and administer multiple training sessions for peer tutors to develop their skills as a critical resource for students.
Solidarity in Action Team
Our Solidarity in Action leaders empower O’Dowd students to grow as a community of learners and agents of change. This leadership team serves the community by advocating for and working with marginalized groups in order to leave an impactful legacy that inspires future leaders.
Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT)
The Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) brings together senior O’Dowd athletes, from across every sport, to take a full year-long class focused on individual student-athlete identity, discovery and development of personal leadership skills, empowerment of the student-athlete voice, engagement within the O’Dowd community and Oakland as a whole, reflection on youth sport experiences, and preparation for life beyond O’Dowd.
