When brainstorming ways to mark the 50th anniversary of Riverwood International Charter School, Senior Communications Director Beth Hodges took a bit of inspiration from the late astronaut Sally Ride.
“She went to my high school in Ohio, and I remember seeing her picture among the distinguished alumni,” said Hodges. “It struck me that we had distinguished individuals here that we hadn’t honored. We’ve had a Riverwood athletic hall of fame for a long time; why not a distinguished alumni hall?”
In early March, the Riverwood Distinguished Alumni Program debuted with speeches and visits from the honored grads. The list of notables included young adult fiction author Becky Albertalli, 2001; jazz musician Joe Alterman, 2007; White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, 2000; Blue Angel Lieutenant Commander Cary Rickoff, 2005; and Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Justice Department Wintta Woldemariam, 2002.
To come up with the inductees, Hodges and five colleagues at the Sandy Springs school created a list of criteria then solicited suggestions from the community.
“We have a lot of outstanding alums, but we decided to search for people who have been nationally recognized for achievement in their field or craft,” she said. “That helped us quickly narrow it down to five.”
The next challenge was getting hold of the nominees.
“We didn’t know if they’d return our phone calls let alone be available,” said Hodges. “But they all did, and all emphatically said yes.”
But Vinings resident Alterman said he had a moment of panic when he got a call from his high school’s principal.
“Somehow, I still thought I was in trouble,” he said. “But it was a sweet message. And I was really touched, surprised and honored. They’ve had a lot of students over the years.”
During the induction ceremony on March 4, Alterman played piano and spoke to assembled students and dignitaries about what the school meant to him.
“I transferred to Riverwood for my last two years, and they embraced my studies,” he said. “They started a jazz band because I asked them to. They found opportunities for me. And I was happy they were now doing something to honor those in the arts.”
Bedingfield also attended in person, met with students and visited classes. Other honorees Zoomed in. Copies of the plaques they received now sit in a new display case at the school’s entrance – a case Hodges expects to fill in coming years due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the concept, especially from students.
“They have a new pride in their school, and have been inspired from the words of wisdom and advice that were shared,” she said. “We wanted students to see a little bit of themselves in these people who have reached the pinnacle of success, and now they’ve told us it’s so cool that they go to a school with these types of alumni.”
Information about Riverwood High is online at fultonschools.org/riverwoodhs.
SEND US YOUR STORIES. Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
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