2016 Fall Dragon

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Francis FORTALEZA ’16
Francis Fortaleza ’16 entered O’Dowd as a shy young
man who loved singing, but was still getting accustomed
to his deeper voice.
Francis is leaving O’Dowd as a confident young
adult who has led the O’Dowd community in song
at school liturgies, his gentle, soothing voice greatly
enhancing the worship experience.
“When my voice changed, singing was kind of difficult.
But being in the choir for four years really gave
me a chance to work on my voice and become more
confident as a singer,” Francis said.
Previously, Director of Campus Ministry Greg Moore
had served as the cantor at liturgies. But one day,
Moore had laryngitis and Francis was asked to fill in.
“I was pretty nervous at first, but I saw it as an opportunity
to be a leader,” he said.
Francis has grown in other ways, too. As an executive
councilmember of the Filipino Club, he teamed with
the Campus Ministry Team in 2013 to help raise nearly
$10,000 for victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
And he served as a freshman retreat leader, sharing
his growth experiences with students. His advice?
“Take advantage of all the different opportunities
available and you’ll be able to really find your place
on campus,” he said.
He’s challenged himself in the classroom, taking an
assortment of Honors and AP courses, including AP
Biology, AP English, AP Comparative Government &
Politics, and AP Statistics and Calculus. “I’ve been
successful because my teachers have always been
there to support me,” he said.
Francis is now attending Fordham University in New
York, where he will study business with concentrations
in finance and accounting. He’d eventually like
to work for a Fortune 500 company or Wall Street
firm.
He believes his O’Dowd experience
has set him on a path for success.
“One of the reasons I chose O’Dowd
was that I knew I would be prepared
for college and the real world,” he
said. “I feel like I learned something
new every day, both in and out of the
classroom.”
And, most importantly, Francis has grown in his faith.
“Coming to O’Dowd helped me feel closer to God
– from the daily prayer, to the liturgies, to religion
classes,” he said.
Francis hopes he’s enhanced the worship experience
for his peers and O’Dowd faculty and staff. “They say
when you sing you pray twice, so I like being able to
lead people in prayer and bring people together,” he
said.
Fall Magazine 2016 // 13