As students stride across the stage, move the tassel from right to left and throw their cap high into the air, they may think their high school chapter of life has ended.
However, graduation is not the end of the relationship for many Dublin City Schools alumni, as they remain involved with the schools and community through the district’s Alumni Association.
The Alumni Association holds events throughout the year to encourage alumni to reconnect with their former classmates and Dublin community.
Event History
The Alumni Association was started by then-superintendent, David Axner, along with Kevin Simmons, a teacher at Eversole Run, and Doug Baker, then-public information officer. Axner believed that connecting the alumni was very important and aimed to bring the community together.
Courtesy of Dublin City Schools
Dublin City Schools reunion
The Hall of Fame ceremony and 50 Year Reunion began as a joint ceremony held by the association to bring the alumni back to Dublin. Eventually, around 2017, these events became separate entities to bring alumni together at different points throughout the year. The 50 Year Reunion moved into Independence Day weekend and the Hall of Fame ceremony tied in with the year’s host school and its homecoming weekend.
Induction to the Hall of Fame comes with the honor of the green and white cord and yearly commemoration at the ceremony. Complete with a red carpet and stage of honor, recognized alumni have an intimate setting with invited friends, family and faculty to celebrate their achievement. Individuals are recognized with the title of either distinguished alumni, young alumni achievement or outstanding service.
Keyburn Grady, alumni and media relations coordinator, says coming back to the school inspires the inductees to reflect on their time spent in the district, and it tends to brings out deep emotions when Hall of Fame inductees share their journey to their accomplishment.
“In my experience, you are always brought to tears at some point,” Grady says. “They’re the best of the best, but there’s something about high school.”
The 2023 honorees ranged from company founders to township trustees and more.
Courtesy of Dublin City Schools
Dublin City Schools All Class Reunion 2023
On the Saturday closest to the Fourth of July, the over 200 members of the alumni community gather for the All-Class Reunion. This event allows individuals of all classes to socialize and encourages alumni to reconnect and catch up. Many use the event to plan their own miniature class reunions as well.
Grady is in charge of coordinating the 50 Year Reunion for each class, such as this year’s banquet for the class of 1973. This reunion also takes place during Independence Day weekend, and is a three-day event filled with activities including a kickoff evening mixer, guided tour of historical Dublin and celebration dinner.
Every fall, graduates gather to celebrate 50-plus years for the Golden Grads luncheon. Some of these alumni include Eula (Headlee) Price, ’50 graduate, Nancy (Wilcox) Custer and Richard “Dick” Termeer, ’51 graduates, who are pillars at the event and in the community. At this year’s event, Terry Holmes, ’72 graduate, worked hard to get her brothers’ health care to clear so they could attend the event. While Mike, ’67 graduate, was unable to come, John, ’68 graduate, was able to enjoy the event at Holmes’ side.
Beyond High School
Although many alumni stay around Dublin, there are some who come from across the country. Some travel from Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, New Hampshire, Florida and beyond to embrace their former classmates and join in on alumni celebrations.
For some, these events are their first time back in Dublin since graduation and they are blown away by how much the community has changed. Whether they remember Muirfield Village opening, Dublin Scioto High School welcoming its first class or the addition of Bridge Park, there are plenty of sights to see, making the tour of historical Dublin more nostalgic.
“What is clear is how much our alumni love the community,” Grady says.
Dublin has a lot to be proud of when it comes to alumni as many have thrived after graduation and reached countless achievements.
The oldest living graduate of Dublin High School, Harry Hirth, ’45 graduate, and has attended every Golden Grads luncheon since Grady took over and long before that as well. Hirth is a celebrity in Dublin, known for his daily walks through Historic Dublin.
Dublin alumni also include several major league baseball players, such as David Bakenhaster, who graduated from Dublin High School in 1963 and became a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, and Mike Ryan, who graduated from Dublin High School in 1964 and played for the Chicago White Sox.
Ten Sun, a 1990 Dublin High School graduate, is a world-renowned motivational speaker with numerous national television appearances and a published book. He is a sought-after educator and researcher, teaching at universities around the world, and he has impacted leaders around the world with his global leadership development. He is also an active member of the community and a constant figure at the Hall of Fame ceremony each year.
These individuals are only a few of the successful alumni and community members celebrated in the Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame, which grows as the community continues to thrive.
Jane Dimel is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback is welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Alumni To Know
Brady Quinn graduated from Coffman in 2003, becoming a quarterback for the University of Notre Dame and a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist before he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns then traded to several other teams including the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and St. Louis Rams. Now, he announces on College Gameday Big Noon Kickoff on FOX Sports.
Abby Steiner, a graduate of Coffman in 2018, is a two-time World Champion track star, with first place in both the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays. She competed in multiple NCAA Division I championships and won many distinguished track and field awards. She has also recently been honored with a mural at Coffman Stadium. Visit the alumni page to learn how to nominate deserving community members and alumni for the Hall of Fame.
