The Cleveland Heights High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame held its 35th induction ceremony on April 30 at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights.
The Hall of Fame was created as a way for Heights to honor the accomplishments of its alumni while giving current students solid examples of what they can accomplish in life, hearing from adults who sat in the same seats and walked the same halls as they do.
With over 50,000 graduates, students have an impressive and diverse list of alumni from whom to select for induction. A student committee, the Imagemakers, selects inductees from nominations made by the general public. Students do not know the names of the nominees, only their accomplishments.
This year’s inductees include:
• Jeffrey Johnson, Class of 1991 - Illume Communications
• Dr. Lynne Gerson Maxwell, Class of 1965 - University of Pennsylvania
• Brian Bornino, Class of 1991 - GBQ Consulting
• Dave E. Gilbert, Class of 1985 - Destination Cleveland
• Dr. Eugenia Poporad Vanek, Class of 1966 - Educator and writer
• Dr. Irving Berkowitz, Class of 1969 - Palm Beach State College
• Dr. Rachel Moresky, Class of 1987 - Columbia University
• Bernice Jacobs Shanker, Class of 1946 - Educator and tutor
• S. Lee Kohrman, Class of 1945 - Kohrman, Jackson & Krantz
• Robert L. Cronquist, Class of 1947 - Cleveland Women’s Orchestra
“It’s not until you hear the inductees speak and listen to their stories that you understand just why the students select them for the Hall of Fame,” states Eric Silverman, Executive Director of the Cleveland Heights High School Alumni Foundation and a 1987 Heights High graduate. “The wide breadth of careers and experiences we see with this year’s inductees is representative of the pluralism that is Heights High. With over 85 years of graduates, our Hall of Fame is just a sample of the amazing achievements our alumni have accomplished.”
The evening program began with an outstanding performance by a jazz quartet from Heights followed by remarks from the inductees. The next morning the new Hall of Famers visited Heights High, touring the building and speaking to classes.
The Alumni Foundation accepts nominations for the Hall of Fame year round, and application forms can be found at www.HeightsAlumni.org. Also posted on the Foundation’s website is a complete listing of HOF inductees, as well as biographies for inductees from the last 21 years.