Alumni Spotlight

Owen Downey graduated from BHS in 2020 and owns and runs a heavy duty truck repair shop, Downey Auto in Pawling, NY. He is the next alum in our Alumni Spotlight Series! 

 

Q: What kind of student were you in high school? 

A: I was a B/A- student.

 

Q: What was your favorite class and teacher in high school?

A: My favorite class was physics taught by Ms. Bald.

 

Q: What is your personal journey—how did you get to where you are now? 

A: When I finished high school, I went to a diesel trade school in Pennsylvania and then did another program at the school’s Arizona campus. While I was living out there, I got a job at a truck shop for five months–that’s where I learned the most. Then I came back in 2022 and made a deal on renting a shop from a trucking company in Pawling and have been there since. 

 

Q: Favorite extracurricular. How did that shape you?

A: My favorite extracurricular was wrestling. I wrestled from modified through varsity. It was a great sport because even though you were a part of a team, at the end of the day it was only you fighting for yourself on the mat during a match. Wrestling really helped build grit and taught me not to give up or become a victim in situations, while also being a team player. 

 

Q: Any advice to BHS students?

A: My best advice to students is to really think about what career you are getting into. Don’t just go to college for a random degree. I have many friends that went to college and got great degrees but do nothing that involves that degree now. Take the summer before college and try to find a way into the field you’re interested in. Also, people say to enjoy your 20s because you’ll never be this young again. But now that I am older, I realize how many people are 30-50 and don’t have careers set up and have no money saved. That scares me. Take your 20s and work as much as you can and take breathers once in a while. And by 30, you should be able to buy a home and start a family and feel comfortable. If you don’t think that college is for you, that’s fine. Get involved in a skilled trade as soon as possible and be ready to work for it. 

 

Q: Any hobbies?

A: My hobbies include racing BMX, mountain biking, boating, snowboarding and restoring old trucks.

 

Q: What are your hopes and dreams professionally?

A: My hopes and dreams professionally are to have 3-5 guys work for me for their entire career and turn my business into more of a hobby business where I only deal with certain projects for customers who truly take pride in their equipment and respect the price it takes for quality work. But not to stress about the shop being my main income–I would like to own and rent out multiple commercial real estate venues. 

 

Q: What does Brewster mean to you?

 

A: Brewster always impresses me because they are constantly looking to grow and upgrade the campus and curriculum to help create more paths for students. I see now they are investing in the sports facilities, which is great because that keeps kids involved in sports and brings out the talent in the district.