March 2023

March brings us Women’s History Month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. This month’s newsletter, we celebrate the amazing and phenomenal Dr. Jane Wright-Hayes, our Outreach and Community Services Coordinator, who is also helping with grant writing and fundraising for ODDUA.  As we continue with the construction of the HUMMINGBIRD HUT Studio, we are continuing to raise funds for the soundproofing and equipment. Dr. Jane has been an amazing resource and wealth of knowledge in non-profit administration and is a talented grant writer.

Born in Manila, Philippines, she finished her undergraduate studies in Organizational Behavior at the University of San Francisco and then went on to complete her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration.  She previously was the Director of Continuing Dental Education at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry and was responsible for both clinical and didactic programs for dental professionals. She completed her Doctorate in Professional Education in 2010 at the Benard School of Education at UOP. Her administrative duties included fund raising for various programs for dental clinicians sponsored by multiple organizations and companies.  Now retired from the University, she continues to work on raising awareness and funding for Oddua’s new recording studio. “This is a whole new world for me”, she says referring to the audiobook industry. “It’s wonderful being surrounded by such wonderful and talented people!”  Dr. Jane is also Allegra Bandy’s mother.  She raised two children on her own, while completing all of her degrees, and growing a profitable post-graduate program for over 30 years at UOP..  Now retired in Stockton, CA, Dr. Jane enjoys spending time with her husband, her dogs and cats, writing, and keeping up with her grandchildren.
It is her recount of the life changing and heart opening experience starting when she was sixteen, when her father’s son from México appears at the front door of her Southern California home. Before that moment, neither Linda nor her siblings knew their father had another child.  It is a beautiful, poignant story of families uniting across physical and emotional borders.