Deb and Dan O'Neill

Champions of Giving: Dan & Deb O’Neill P’21, ’23, ’26

Meet the Donors

Dan O’Neill is the parent of three Austin Prep students and graduates whose family’s connection to the School has been shaped by opportunity, community, and a desire to help young people flourish. A graduate of Arlington Catholic, Dan had long been familiar with Austin Prep, but his understanding of the School deepened when he and his wife, Deb, began exploring options for their own children.

As they considered where their children could grow academically and personally, Austin Prep stood out for both its Catholic identity and the breadth of experiences available to students. “When it came to my own kids, they were at a local Catholic elementary school. As we started to think about middle school and high school, we focused on where they could find opportunity and where they could really flourish,” Dan said.

That question proved to be the right one. Over time, each of the O’Neills’ three children found meaningful opportunities at Austin Prep that helped shape their interests and future paths. Dan’s daughter discovered a passion for Mandarin that began with a sixth-grade language choice and continued through AP Mandarin, college study, and a summer in China. One son found his direction in computer science and is now preparing to graduate with a master’s degree in software engineering. Another became deeply involved in robotics and now hopes to pursue aerospace engineering.

For Dan, those stories are not separate from the Austin Prep experience. They are the result of a school culture that gives students room to explore, discover, and grow. “There was something about the community,” he said. “There was something about what my kids saw when they came to look at the School as they were trying to decide where they wanted to go.”

The Inspiration to Give

For Dan, giving back to Austin Prep begins with gratitude, but it is also driven by a clear understanding of impact. He has seen firsthand how the School helped shape his children, not only academically, but as people.

“Our role as parents is to provide opportunity,” he said. “For me, that meant finding the right place. I remember wondering whether Austin Prep was the right investment and whether it would truly be worth it. Now, looking back and seeing that all three of my kids found something they were passionate about here, I know it was. That happened through trial and error.”

 

That feeling comes from more than outcomes. It comes from watching his children try new things, take risks, and grow through experiences they may never have encountered elsewhere. Dan sees that process of exploration as one of Austin Prep’s greatest strengths. “You don’t know what you’re going to like or not like. You don’t know what shape it’s going to take you in,” he said. “But if you don’t have that set of opportunities, you never find that thing.”

Dan also points to the importance of community in that growth. He has been especially struck by the advisory model at Austin Prep, where older students help mentor younger ones and students learn how to support one another across grade levels. For him, those experiences help students build confidence, maturity, and habits of leadership that extend far beyond the classroom. “That coupled with, ‘Here’s the breadth of opportunity you can go try,’ has been a big part of that growth as well,” he said.

Supporting Austin Prep

Dan and Deb have supported Austin Prep through both their time and their philanthropy, motivated by a belief that their family’s experience is part of something larger. “It’s been important to us to be able to contribute our time and our funds to help the community create those opportunities for the next generation of students coming through,” Dan said.

 

Their giving reflects the same values that first drew them to the School: meaningful opportunity, strong community, and the formation of the whole child. Dan has spoken about the importance of investing in spaces and experiences that can spark a student’s imagination, whether that is a Fabrication Lab, a robotics lab, an academic program, or another opportunity that opens a new path.

“When a new class comes in, you’d never know what’s going to excite that class,” he said. “Those students each have their own interests, passions, and goals as they come through. But if that one kid can find that particular sport, that interesting thing inside the Fabrication Lab, that thing that gets them excited about coming in every day, that’s what matters.”

That vision helps explain why Dan is a Champion of Giving. He is not simply supporting what Austin Prep has already done for his own children. He is helping create the conditions for future students to encounter the same kind of life-shaping opportunities. “Our kids definitely benefited from those who gave before and created the opportunities that my kids experienced,” he said. “Now I’m looking for a way to be able to have that impact and try to help the next generation of kids coming through to have their set of opportunities for the future.”

Dan has seen that vision come to life through his son Aidan O’Neill ’26, who has been deeply involved in the Austin Prep Fabrication Lab. The lab has already supported hundreds of students across grades 6 through 12, giving students in engineering, robotics, marine science, theology, history, literature, creative writing, and Christian Service new ways to design, build, test, and create with purpose. For Aidan, who hopes to pursue aerospace engineering, the experience has helped connect classroom learning with future aspirations. For the broader student body, the Fabrication Lab represents exactly the kind of opportunity Dan and Deb hope to make possible: a space where students can discover new interests, develop confidence, and turn ideas into something real. Read more about Aidan’s engineering solutions within the Fabrication Lab.

Why Giving Matters

For Dan, giving is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: sometimes you have to say yes. One of the most memorable lessons his family took from Austin Prep came from his daughter, who once told his wife, “Mom, sometimes you’ve just got to say yes.” That mindset shaped the way Dan came to think about philanthropy as well.

 

That lesson stayed with him as he and Deb thought about how they could support Austin Prep. For Dan, giving is about recognizing where an investment can make a real difference and choosing to help create opportunities for others. He has seen what those opportunities meant for his own children, and that gratitude has shaped the way he thinks about giving back.

Dan believes the value of an Austin Prep education is measured not only in academic preparation, but in the kind of people students become. He has watched his children develop passions, work toward goals, and begin shaping meaningful futures for themselves. He has also watched them grow in character, perspective, and a sense of responsibility to others. This commitment to expanding opportunity for future students is why Dan and Deb support the Faith and Reason Capital Campaign, ensuring that Austin Prep can continue to invest in programs and spaces that help all students discover their passions.

For him, that is what makes giving back so meaningful. His family’s philanthropy is both a thank you for what Austin Prep has meant to them and an investment in what it can continue to mean for others. Through their generosity, Dan and Deb O’Neill are helping ensure that future students will have the same chance to discover what excites them, what challenges them, and what ultimately shapes their lives.

Become a Champion of Giving

The article above is part of our Champions of Giving series, which highlights the individuals and families whose generosity transforms student lives and strengthens the Austin Prep experience. You too can be a Champion of Giving by supporting our students through annual giving, memorial scholarships, or campaign contributions. Your gift helps students learn boldly, lead with purpose, and serve with compassion — creating a lasting impact for generations to come.