2018 Fall Dragon Magazine

Transferring to O’Dowd as a junior, Pablo Samoilys ’18
wasn’t sure what to expect.
Like most transfer students, Pablo worried about fitting
in socially and was concerned about how he would handle
O’Dowd’s challenging college prep curriculum.
On the social side, Pablo found the transfer experience
surprisingly easy. “Everyone was really welcoming. All
the teachers were immediately there to help me become a
part of the community, and within a few days I had made
friends,” he said.
But because Pablo had moved to the United States from
Kenya, getting adjusted to the American education system
presented a bigger challenge. “I came in not knowing the
basic things. I barely understood GPA scores, and MLA
format was completely new to me. On my early assignments
I struggled, but my teachers were pretty forgiving
and they gave me opportunities to redo things.”
Pablo Samoilys ’18
TRANSFORMATIONAL
EXPERIENCES LEAD
TO PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Pablo dove in to his new school community, serving as a
Dragon Ambassador Captain, playing tennis, and leading
the Photography Club.
His most transformational O’Dowd experience, however,
centered on his participation in the Kairos retreat program
– first as a retreatant during his junior year.
“The whole experience was pretty amazing. I came back
from that three-day retreat with a lot of new friends that I
felt I had known for a lifetime,” he said. “Before that retreat
I felt OK at O’Dowd, but afterwards O’Dowd really felt like
home.”
Profoundly inspired, Pablo applied to be a Kairos student
leader, and, as a senior, led a small group of junior students
in reflection and self-discovery, helping them deepen their
relationships with family, friends and God.
Pablo is currently attending UC Davis where he is considering
majoring in product or industrial engineering
and pursuing a career in high tech – perhaps focusing on
prototyping and design.
“O’Dowd has played a really big role in my development
into a young adult,” Pablo said. “When I moved to the United
States I still considered myself an adolescent. These
two years have refined me into the person I am today and I
truly appreciate that.”
Added Pablo, “O’Dowd prepares you academically, but also
guides and supports you in your personal development.”
Fall/Winter Magazine 2018 // 11