After spending half of their lives at Trinity, science teacher Sara Dowdy and Middle School Principal Jason Dowdy are starting anew chapter of their lives in Vero Beach, Fla. During their time at Trinity, they have wit-nessed the rebuilding of the Brokaw building, have taught generations of students and athletes and have raised their family at Trinity.

“It has meant everything,” Mr. Dowdy said. “My kids went to school here. [Trinity] has been a huge part of our family. We were all here and this was something we absolutely loved. I was 25 years old when I walked in the doors [of Trinity]; I was a kid and I have really grown up here.”

After the Dowdys moved from Seattle, not yet married but engaged, Mrs. Dowdy got the job as a middle school science teacher. A year later, Mr. Dowdy joined the Trinity faculty as a social science teacher. The initial plan for the Dowdys was to move back to Seattle after a couple of years, however, that quickly changed when they settled down in Florida.

“I thought ‘I’ll come down for a couple of years, have an adventure, and then I’m going back to the mountains,’” Mr. Dowdy said. “25 years later, here we are. We fell in love with Florida.”

Since starting at Trinity, Mr. Dowdy worked his way up to becoming the middle school assistant principal and eventually to his current position as Middle School Principal. Many students are familiar with Mr. Dowdy’s announcements at middle school assemblies or simply his presence in the quad.

“It’s the best job,” Mr. Dowdy said. “It is challenging but so much fun. It’s been something that I’ve truly truly loved. “I still get to work with students. I still get to be with kids and have fun… while also working with teachers and being able to have an impact on what’s happening in the classroom and what’s happening in the school at large.”

Similar to her husband, Mrs. Dowdy worked hard in the science department, serving as the Denicole Endowed Science Chair while teaching 8th-grade science classes. She founded the legendary boat race project, where students, applying their knowledge of physics, attempt to stay afloat while paddling on their cardboard boats across the pool.

“Her class is always fun, she always did fun labs,” said sophomore Elizabeth Carlin, a former student of Mrs. Dowdy. “She taught in such an interesting way that made me look
forward to science.”

Outside of teaching, the Dowdys were very involved in atheltics as well. In Mr. Dowdy’s first five years at Trinity, he coached middle school football, one year of varsity football and was varsity for track and field. As Mr. Dowdy stopped to focus more on his leadership in administration, Mrs. Dowdy continued her leadership on the field as head cross country coach for both boys and girls team as well as assistant varsity coach of track and field.

“She’s really one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” Carlin said. “We had morning practice for cross country, and she was never late at 6 a.m. every morning for the team. I never thought I wouldn’t be able to enjoy morning practice. She really made it fun for everyone.”

Mrs. Dowdy comes prepared to practice three hours a day, six days a week to train her runners and help them excel in their sport, never wavering in her support of her students.

“At all the meets she would always walk around with her bright pink backpack, so we’d always see her everywhere… no matter where I am on the course, I can always hear her,” Carlin said. “I can always pick her out in the
crowd.”

The Dowdys have made a committed effort to serve the students and provide them with fun experiences in and out of the classroom. From creating new engaging activities with the middle school student council to fostering traditions like Headmaster’s Day and the big brother/sister program, Mr. Dowdy has contributed much to the Trinity community.

“I will miss the things that are the traditions at the school,” Mr. Dowdy said. “I love the first day of school and when the 6th graders come, or when the 6th graders gather around the rock with their senior big brothers and sisters.”
Whether on or off the field, the Dowdys have supported each individual at Trinity.

“The best part is having a coach who’s like my friend,” Carlin said. “She pulls us out and talks to us, and figures out what’s wrong. You could tell she cares about us as athletes but also
as people too.”

In addition to their contributions to various programs and aspects of Trinity, the Dowdys have created a community here. Their children have grown up in the Trinity family, with their daughter Clara graduating in 2021 and
their son Mason graduating in 2023.

“They’ve been everything to me,” Mrs. Dowdy said. “My old department chair was like a father figure to me. The old head of school and Lawson too. They take care of us. It’s a family. It’s a way of life. I always joke ‘This is not a job. This is my second home. These are my kids doing cross country … The kids are my kids.’ My husband works here. My children went there. It truly is family in every sense of the word.”

The sense of community and spirit are one of the things that the Dowdys will miss the most. One of Mrs. Dowdy’s favorite memories at Trinity was seeing students’ support for her son and the soccer team when they won the soccer state championships. Mr. Dowdy also highlights the support he and his family received.

“It’s been special to be in a place where they went to school to see the education that they got here and the care people showed for them. Then, to be able to work with Mrs. Dowdy every day is incredibly special.”

Moving forward, the Dowdys are moving to Vero Beach, where Mr. Dowdy is taking the position of the head of middle school at Saint Edward’s Episcopal School. Although the Dowdys are leaving Trinity, their legacy remains, and Trinity will always be a part of their family.

“[Trinity] has allowed me to grow in my career and really learn how to be an educator, and so I will always be grateful to the school,” Mr. Dowdy said. “I love the traditions and the people. The most important part and the thing that’s kept me here [are] the teachers and students; that’s what’s been so much fun. It will forever be a special place for us.”