The 13th annual induction ceremony for the BHS Gallery of Success will take place in the auditorium on April 19.
The Gallery was established in 1985, and the selection committee has been adding names on a three-year cycle ever since.
“The school board wanted to do something to recognize the alumni,” said Paula Rollins, the coordinator of the Gallery of Success.
The only times the cycle has been interrupted was in 2012 when the high school was being renovated and in 2020 due to COVID.
Both times the ceremony could not be held at the high school, and therefore inductions were delayed.
Although the Gallery of Success honors all kinds of alumni, inductees must meet qualifications in order to be accepted.
The nominee must have portrayed an outstanding act of “leadership, service, humanitarianism, creativity, courage, and/or career contributions that have benefited others.”
The requirements can be met in many different ways.
Applications to the 2024 Gallery of Success were due Nov. 10, and the committee is currently in the process of selecting honorees.
Applicants can put any form of documentation into their application packets such as degrees or awards along with their nomination letter.
The process starts in the fall when the application form is posted on the website.
Some applicants apply themselves, while others are nominated by family members.
In the past, family members have nominated alumni without their knowledge.
“We used to allow surprises, but the problem is when you would contact them, they would have no clue what you were talking about,” Rollins said.
She eventually decided to notify each nominee upon receiving their application.
Sometimes people apply for multiple years until they get in.
Rollins said there was an applicant who applied five times before getting accepted
“He had 15 years to grow his resume,” she said.
With each new application cycle Rollins seats a new selection committee of 20 people who are involved with the Beachwood City Schools or the City of Beachwood.
Once each committee member has read the application multiple times, they meet to discuss which candidates are most qualified for entering the Gallery of Success.
After the committee goes through each application many times, they vote on who they believe should become members of Beachwood’s Gallery of Success.
Most years the cutoff for inductees is ten, but in the past as many as 18 worthy applicants were inducted.
Applicants are usually informed of admission via email in December.
After being inducted, each applicant must send in a picture of themselves, a bio and an invitation list for the ceremony.
Come April 19, the long day starts.
When each inductee arrives at BHS, they are assigned a student to help guide them.
Then there is a brunch to get all of the inductees accustomed to the day ahead, and their fellow selectees.
After the brunch, the assembly starts, and each new member delivers a speech that lasts 3-5 minutes. Rollins advises inductees on their speeches.
“Be witty, motivational, and inspirational,” she says.
With each new group of inductees, speeches tend to span a full range of emotions.
“We were crying at some of them last time,” Rollins said.
After the speeches conclude the meet and greet starts.
This is often the students’ favorite part of the day because they get to ask questions to the alumni whose stories they find interesting.
With tables set up around the cafeteria, the students have free range to choose and meet anyone they would like at their own pace.
In previous years, inductees would be set up in classrooms with a timer set on each meeting, but Rollins found that changing that system to a more open and free set up gave the students more time to learn about all the different inductees they want at their own pace.
The induction ceremony is a long day, but Rollins feels that it is fulfilling.
“It’s so worthwhile and you feel so good,” she said.
