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2008 Hall of Fame Inductees by Sue (Klausing) Gerker, Class of 1984 Service to Mankind Dr. Michael Rekart, Class of 1965 The phrase “I’m going to change the world,” sounds like a movie punch line or the euphemism of an optimistic liberal arts graduate student, but for Dr. Michael Rekart it is reality. His decades-long commitment to provide medical assistance in low-income countries developed during his professional career, but he credits Delphos St. John’s for instilling in him the sense of community responsibility that gives him the drive to help others. After graduating from St. John’s in 1965, Dr. Rekart earned an honors bachelor’s degree in Classical Languages and Medical Sciences from Xavier University in 1969 and then a Doctor of Medicine from The Ohio State University in 1973. After training in Internal Medicine he completed subspecialty training in California as an Infectious Disease Fellow, but his education did not stop there. London, England, was his next destination and it is there where he received his Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. During this course, he was introduced to international health and development and became aware of the impact of tropical infectious diseases in impoverished countries. In 1981-82 he was the Director for Llamba Association, a Colorado voluntary relief agency based in Es Showak, Sudan, which provided medical services for five Eritrean refugee camps. While directing Llamba, Dr. Rekart initiated several important new programs for the refugees, the local Sudanese and nomadic tribes in the area, including childhood immunizations, a feeding program for malnourished children and a massive vaccination campaign in conjunction with the World Health Organization during a meningitis outbreak. Working in an area with unclean water, sporadic electricity and sweltering temperatures of 115 degrees changed Rekart’s life and made him resolute in his commitment to global health. In 1996, Rekart was a Co-Chair for the XI International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver, Canada. At the event he met with the delegation from Vietnam and pledged to assess the country’s situation and provide assistance. The commitment led to the inception of Café Hy Vong, the first Vietnamese HIV/AIDS prevention project sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency. Currently Dr. Rekart leads the expanded Vietnam HIV/AIDS/STI Community Clinics Network Project in four southern Vietnam provinces and there is opportunity to expand. He is also the Director of the British Columbia Provincial Health Services Authority Global Health Program, which provides assistance in Uganda, China and India. Earlier this year, Rekart traveled to Peru with his son, Edward, in a father-son program organized to build a kindergarten in a poor village. While there, Rekart conducted clinics and was inspired to partner with a local community organization to develop a research proposal to establish community kitchens as a cost-effective and sustainable method to combat malnutrition in children. Rekart is world-renown for his humanitarian efforts but he says it all started at home. “Both the school and the parish helped me to realize how fortunate I was to grow up in Delphos and in the United States. This in turn has driven me to help others as often as I can,” he said. He added that he is humbled and honored by his induction into the St. John’s Hall of Fame, especially since he is the first from his graduating class. Rekart’s “real” job is in Vancouver, Canada, where he works to better the health conditions in vulnerable populations. He is the Director of HIV Control and the Vancouver General Hospital Tropical Medicine Clinic. He achieved the rank of Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia in 2001.
Artistic Achievement Ben Mesker, Class of 1989 A quality picture can evoke emotion and create a feeling beyond words. That reaction is Ben Mesker’s creative goal each time he picks up his camera and begins his next assignment. The 2008 inductee in the Arts/Athletic category of the St. John’s Hall of Fame is an artist and a communicator and believer in the education he received as a Blue Jay. Mesker is one of many success stories to emerge from St. John’s TV Programming course. After graduating in 1989, he earned a degree in video and film production from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and went to work for Production Masters Inc., in Pittsburgh. He then moved to Cincinnati, where his credits included the Today Show, national commercials and exclusive marketing pieces. He later relocated to Florida and greatly expanded his Director of Photography portfolio working for Adrenaline Films. Projects with the company included commercials for HBO and Universal Studios and documentaries for A&E. In 2007, Mesker and his wife, Donna, started Image Garden, Inc., a production company in Orlando, Fla. Mesker’s talent has taken him around the world, with shoots in Africa, China, Italy, Egypt, Germany, Brazil, Australia, England and Hawaii. He has done work for giants such as Walt Disney World, ESPN and Universal Studios and had the fortune to have celebrity subjects such as Ellen DeGeneres, Tiger Woods, Steven Tyler, Travis Haffner and Shaquille O’Neal. He’s worked on two films, including “Confessions of a Thug,” an award-winning hip-hop musical inspired by the life of musical artist Jay-Z. Mesker says he feels blessed to have the opportunity to have success in a career he truly loves. “After a lot of thought I have concluded that this honor is evidence of the doors that have been opened for me by those that laid my foundation,” he said. “Namely, the teachers, students and faculty at Delphos St. John.” Mesker has built his production company based on the same principles he learned in high school; namely collaboration. He and his team make it their mission to work with the client before during and after the production to develop a unique, superior project. “The education that I received at Delphos St. John was beyond just books and learning. There were teachers who took the time to show me that I had value. Teachers who noticed special skills and talents within me and made it part of their mission to not just educate me, but to help me develop into a person that embraces and uses the talents that God gave me. The structure of discipline in the school taught me how to work,” he said. “As my life and career have gone on, I have seen the reward that comes from working hard, but the cornerstone of my foundation would have to be the importance of having God in my life. As a student I witnessed examples of it every day. I heard about God in the classroom, and more importantly, witnessed teachers and faculty in the school getting down on their knees and praying, right next to all of us students. I saw a Christian lifestyle that wasn't just taught; it was lived.”
Service to St. John's George Adams, Principal 1970-1997 When does the role of high school principal go beyond a job and reach the level of service to that school? Perhaps it’s when that person is the one who turns on the lights in the morning and locks the doors at night and spends all of the hours in between doing his best for his staff and students overseeing the daily operation and finances. Maybe it’s when his dedication to the school means that no job is too small, from helping the roofers during the summer to cleaning the floors after a water leak to assisting with coaching duties when needed. It could be when he attends thousands of committee meetings, leads the ever-important school festival and makes all of the tough decisions while maintaining his integrity and earning the respect of his staff, students and the community. Possibly it’s when his commitment is so resolute and loyalty so strong that he walks the halls for 25 years and becomes the name and face associated with such a tradition-laden school. Mr. George Adams became the first lay principal at Delphos St. John’s High School when he was hired in 1970. He made the school part of his life and for his tireless devotion he is being inducted as the 2008 Hall of Fame recipient for Service to St. John’s. Mr. Adams grew up in Youngstown and attended a Catholic elementary school and public high school. He earned his teaching degree from Ohio Northern University in 1955, after serving a 2-year tour in the Army. His first teaching job was in the Huntsville Local Schools district teaching biology, science, health, physical education and driver’s education. His duties also included coaching football, baseball and basketball. His career then traveled east to North Lima near the Pennsylvania border where he again taught several courses and took on various coaching duties. During this time he also garnered a master’s degree in counseling and guidance from Westminster College. Mr. Adams returned to the area when he became the guidance counselor for Wapakoneta schools from 1967 until 1970. The next move would be the last of his career. “Looking back I believe the Lord directed me to St. John’s,” he said. “It’s a special place and I wouldn’t change my 25 years there for the world.” He attributes his longevity to the good people with whom he worked. “There was a good staff of good people who were dedicated to the enrichment of the students,” he said. “We were always on the same page and shared the same philosophy. I believe in rules. If there is a rule then apply it. I had a lot of respect for the teachers and staff and it was reciprocated.” Another important key to his long tenure was his ability to stay positive. “I never dwell on the negative. I try to make each day better and not make the same mistakes I made yesterday. I never waste too much time worrying about the what-ifs,” he said. “At the beginning of each year I told the students, ‘It’s going to be a good year’. It was a new year for them and it was another opportunity for them to do their thing. “I cared about each and every student. Every student had something unique to contribute to the betterment of themselves and the school,” he said. “Fr. Ottenweller always told me to let them know they were appreciated. “St. John’s is special. It’s a family working and caring for one another for the good of all so that we may always have a community and school strong in education and always based on our Catholic faith.”
Professional Achievement Dr. Craig Reinemeyer, Class of 1969 Craig Reinemeyer, DVM, Ph.D., became interested in parasites when he was just eight years old. His insatiable fascination for animals, coupled with growing up in a community of hard-working people helped him become a leader in the field of veterinary parasitologists and the 2008 St. John’s Hall of Fame inductee for Professional Achievement. “St. John's gave me all the tools I needed to succeed in life,” he said. “However, I think the most valuable experience was the example of an entire community with a phenomenal work ethic. Many of the world's problems today could be solved if everyone was willing to work as hard as the citizens of Delphos.” After graduating as valedictorian of the St. John’s 1969 class, Dr. Reinemeyer earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University in 1976. He returned to the university years later and received his Ph.D. with a specialization in Veterinary Parasitology in 1984. With his Ph.D., Reinemeyer pursued a career in the classroom. He was an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine’s department of pathobiology from 1984-1990, and an associate professor in the department of comparative medicine from 1990-1998. Longing to again work hands-on with the animals, Dr. Reinemeyer then began his stint in clinical research. Today he is the president of East Tennessee Clinical Research, which conducts pharmaceutical development research on domestic animals. If a pharmaceutical company wants a product for horses approved by the FDA, it likely will be tested at Reinemeyer’s facility in Tennessee. He has written and co-authored more than 100 publications, including articles in the American Journal of Veterinary Research, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and Equine Internal Medicine. Some of his professional memberships include the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists, the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology and the American Veterinary Medical Association. He was recipient of the Lindsay Young Distinguished Teaching Award in 1995-96 and he is a member of the National Society of Phi Zeta. He said he is honored by his most recent accolade. “I've ‘flown under the radar’ for most of my life because I work in such a small, specialized area. So, it's very gratifying to get a pat on the back, especially when the acknowledgement comes from my alma mater, an organization that I love and respect,” he said. Dr. Reinemeyer recalls an unforgettable atmosphere of community at St. John’s. “My memory of St. John’s includes thoughts of spending each and every day working and learning among people with similar values, a common history, and shared dreams for the future. I've never experienced anything like it since, even on a very small scale,” he said. “Those were magical times, and I hope that today's students still share a similar experience.”
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