On Nov. 14, 2024, four D303 alumni were honored at the Distinguished Alumni Event hosted in the Norris Cultural Arts Center. They included Riverview Counseling Services founder Cheryl Denz (‘91), attorney and Buddy up for Life co-founder Rick Gibson (‘85), musician and San Francisco International Piano Festival founder Jeff LeDeur (‘04) and Kaye/Bassman International managing partner Karen Schmidt (‘96).
The 2024 Distinguished Alumni Recipients were selected by the D303 Distinguished Alumni Committee, a tradition that has persisted since the committee’s formation in 1997. However, this year marked the return of the in-person celebration ever since COVID-19.
“The award recognizes D303 alumni who have demonstrated a high-level achievement in their field of endeavor or in their contributions to the community,” said the chair of the D303 Distinguished Alumni Committee and 2001 recipient of the award, Clint Hull. “The whole idea is to recognize D303 alumni who have gone on to do great things, […] both nationwide and within the St. Charles community.”
The event was attended by past and present Distinguished Alumni and their families, members of the D303 Distinguished Alumni Committee and student volunteers from STCE Guides. At five p.m., the ceremony began with Hull and D303 superintendent Paul Gordon emphasizing the importance of the award before moving into speeches from each of the 2024 recipients.
LeDeur began with a speech outlining the representation of the bass voice as a strong foundation in music and beyond. “I think that the foundation that I received here in terms of musical education and in terms of values really represents my bass voice,” he said. “That’s the voice I’m speaking to my students with and is what I’m hoping comes through my performances. I have such an immense gratitude for this fundamental base that this school has provided me.”
Schmidt then dedicated her speech to the educators in the room and highlighted their influence on all of their students’ lives. “Please don’t ever stop believing in every kid you work with just a little bit more than they believe in themselves,” she said. “I don’t need to know, for sure, that this moment ever made a difference, just like you won’t know with most of your students. All I need to know, and I hope you always remember, is that it could.”
Conversely, Denz began her speech by denoting the irony of her receiving the award, as she was never particularly a “superstar” during her time at East. However, she acknowledged that her success came from finding her core value of helping others and with the support of those around her, saying, “To know that one life has gotten a little better because you lived… that’s how you know you’ve succeeded.”
Gibson concluded with a speech focused on an enduring motto of “expect more” that has guided him throughout his life. After learning his son was born with Down syndrome, Gibson and his wife founded Buddy for Life, a non-profit organization to give more opportunities to other children with Down syndrome that eventually spread across the nation. With his son now a freshman at Vanderbilt University, Gibson ended his speech by saying, “I hope you all move forward by expecting more of yourselves, especially those with Down syndrome.”
The next day, the 2024 Distinguished Alumni went to both D303 high schools to talk to students about how their time in D303 contributed to their successes and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Previously, the award was celebrated with a standalone dinner at Hotel Baker, but the committee realized that student interaction was invaluable to the experience as a whole.
“Every year when we talk to the recipients, going to the school is the highlight, far and away,” said Hull. “What we want the students to be able to do is to understand that they have the world in front of them and a chance to ask these [alumni], ‘How did you do what you did?’”
Senior Zahra Coyne was part of a Leadership Studies class that got the opportunity to ask the panel of alumni questions about their leadership and experiences. “I think the biggest lesson I took is that success looks so different,” she said. “All these people went down so many different paths […] and still ended up where they were meant to be, so it gives me a lot of comfort and excitement for the future.”
The Distinguished Alumni Event is planned to fall back to its annual timeline and is set to continue for the 2025 year. “What [students] will find when they get here is that the recipients and past recipients are just like them,” said Hull while encouraging the event to interested students. “I can guarantee that if they come, they’re not gonna walk away disappointed, they just have to push themselves outside of their comfort zone.”
