2016 Fall Dragon

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Diego MADRIGAL ’20
Diego Madrigal brings a host of talents and skills to
O’Dowd. As student council president at St. Leander
School, Diego worked collaboratively with others
to organize activities and events. He also tutored
younger students in Math and reading – two of his
strongest subjects.
As a faith family leader, Diego encouraged the
younger students who were shy and hesitant to engage
in group activities and projects. “It was my role
to reach out to them and comfort them, and make
sure that they knew they were in a safe environment,”
he said. “It was nice when I could help them feel comfortable
enough to participate.”
In addition to these talents and skills, Diego is bringing
a great deal of passion and excitement to his new
school community. “I’m super excited to be coming
to O’Dowd. I really like the school’s environment and
vibe, and there is so much to do here,” he said. “It’s
my ambition to take advantage of all of the opportunities.”
Diego plans to participate in band,
debate and athletics, and has a keen
interest in the environmental studies
program and Living Lab. “I visited
Yosemite a couple of years ago and
was inspired to learn more about protecting
the environment and nature,”
he said.
He’s an accomplished student who already has his
sights set on attending Stanford University, the
school both his parents attended, and believes that
O’Dowd’s rigorous college prep curriculum will help
him achieve his goal. “When I came for my shadow
visit I was impressed by the science and math classes
that I visited. Everyone was engaged and the teachers
seemed very encouraging,” he said. “I’m looking
forward to participating a lot and sharing my ideas.”
Diego is also excited about the vast academic choices
available to O’Dowd students. “I think students
can thrive in an environment like this and reach their
full potential,” he said.
And, he is eager to continue his education in a
diverse environment. “The diversity at St. Leander
School helped me to appreciate and respect other
cultures and races,” he said. “When you grow up with
diverse friends like I have, you start to ignore those
little differences like skin color or accent. We all have
much more in common than not.”
Diego is inspired by his faith to serve others. “God
placed everybody on this planet for a reason, and
that reason is not to be passive or unmotivated. It is
to use our God-given talents in service to others,” he
said.
Fall Magazine 2016 // 11