By Vickie Rhodehamel
ArcanumNews
Where are they now? For the past couple of years, the accomplishments of Arcanum High School graduates tends to surprise not only this writer but many of you. During the past week, I have been writing and updating a new Facebook page, The Arcanum Alumni Association. Here are a few of the stories that I have published.
Let me introduce you to the Executive Producer of the Phil Donahue show! Yes, she was a 1956 Arcanum High School Graduate, meet Patricia (Baker) McMillen! Pat left AHS and headed for Airline Business School in Minneapolis, Minn. She later worked for United Airlines in Washington, D.C. She returned to Arcanum to marry her high School sweetheart and took a job at NCR, and from there moved to WLW-D (now WDTN) and by 1967 became a producer of the famous television program. Her parents were Herman and Helen Baker from Arcanum and believes that they enabled her to achieve her wonderful career. She went on to win six national Emmy awards and got to meet not only Presidents and Vice-Presidents, she was honored to interview Nelson Mandela with her work on the Donahue show in England in 1988. She commends her high School English teacher, Mrs. Starr as one of her most revered memories from her time at AHS. She retired in 1996 from the world of television to Boulder, Colo. Sitting in her driveway was a brand new car with a red bow tied on it from Phil Donahue thanking her for all her years of work and support to him. Today, Pat and Bob live in the suburb of Dublin in the Columbus, Ohio area. Small world isn’t it?
Did you know that an Arcanum High School graduate became Miss Indiana? AHS Class of 1969 graduate Karen Rogers became Miss Indiana in 1973. There is a picture of her visiting the Children’s International Summer Village (CISV) held at Barker Jr. High, 1973. Karen graduated from Indiana Central College. She had the most beautiful voice and used her talent in the talent portion of the Miss Indiana pageant. She is now known as Karen Kelly and resides in Glendale, Calif. Her parents were also well-known as her mother was a school teacher and her father owned the local hardware store.
Have you heard of the rock group, Mason Justice? This female rock duo with high energy will leave you wanting more. Half of this group is 2006 AHS graduate Brittany Mason! She partners with Opal Justice on a new upcoming album, “Blood Runs Cold” that was written by the pair and produced by them with Chris Weller and Nathan Smith of Mainframe Recording Studio. The pair have been recording and performing in the Nashville area. Brittany Mason and Opal Justice formed the duo, Mason Justice, in September 2016. While at AHS, Brittany held her own on the softball diamond and was known as “Schmitty”. Brittany is the daughter of Bill and Liz Mason who now reside in Florida. Check out her website: www.jasonjustice.com.
Meet AHS Class of 2004 graduate Andrew Buck Michael. Andrew Buck Michael is a meteorologist for Good Day Columbus in Columbus. Andrew received a degree in Atmospheric Science dream The Ohio State University and is a big BUCKEYE fan. His love of OSU is so great that he even got married to his wife Dawn on campus; she is also a meteorologist. They have two children: Summer and Evan. Andrew joined ABC 6/Fox 28 in 2012 after working at their sister station WKEF and WRGT in Dayton. Andrew has had a love of weather since he was three-years old when his father (Terry Michael, AHS Class of 75 alum) tried to get him to say Cumulonimbus (a thunderstorm cloud) while watching the storms roll in at their farm just outside of Castine. Andrew has won three Emmy awards for weather, interactivity, and technical achievement for building augmented reality weathercasts. Andrew is a member of the American Meteorological Society and has been designed with the organization’s Certified Meteorologist Seal of Approval.
Dr. Alisha D. Reiss (Flatter) is a general surgeon in Greenville, and is affiliated with Wayne HealthCare. She received her medical degree from Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2011 and has been in practice 11 years. She served her residency in surgery at Mount Carmel Health Systems from 2011 to 2016. Alisha is an Arcanum High School graduate class of 2003 and was an Arcanum Alumni Scholarship recipient. Dr. Reiss serves as the delegate of the Young Physicians Section (YPS) Governing Council for the 2022-2024 term. She has been an active and engaged member of the AMA and OSMA for more than a decade. She has represented medical students, residents and young physicians at both the state and national levels. She has been actively involved in health policy and state advocacy issues by serving on the OSMA Focused Taskforce on State Legislation. Dr. Reiss helped create a Young Physician Section in the state of Ohio. As part of the new section, young physicians will have dedicated voices in the Ohio House of Delegates. Alisha is the daughter of Bob and Deb Flatter of Arcanum.
The Arcanum Wayne Trail Historical Society is looking for short Veteran’s stories for their website or Facebook page in honor of Veteran’s Day. Please send your stories to AWTHS by the end of October via the website or Facebook Messenger attention Annette Stewart. Please keep in mind if it is written by another family member a person permission is needed for AWTHS to print or publish. Thank you!
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” ~Edith Sitwell
“I still close my eyes and go home – I can always draw from that.” ~Dolly Parton
“I really love my hometown. I carry that with me.” ~Madeline Brewer
