2009 Alter High School Alumni Hall of Fame
Distinguished Inductees
Christopher Desch, Class of 1973 (Deceased)
After graduating from Alter, Chris attended the Ohio State University for his Bachelor's degree and remained at OSU to complete his Doctor of Medicine degree, Summa Cum Laude, in 1981. His three-year residency was at the University of Rochester in internal medicine, and he was the Medical Chief Resident from 1984-1985. From there he went on to complete a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington from 1985-1988. Chris became board-certified in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Hematology. He was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and became a highly respected physician with an extraordinarily lengthy and impressive resume. Chris had a great deal more he could have given when he tragically died at only 51, but he has left a never-ending effect on family, friends and all the world of Oncology.
Chris began his career in 1988 at Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cancer Center where he was recognized for his commitment to effective, compassionate and quality patient care, and led major clinical trials for cancer prevention and therapies. His legacy at VCU will remain his efforts to reach out to rural patients as a doctor and as the founder of the Massey Cancer Center's Rural Cancer Outreach Program. Additionally, Chris authored numerous articles for many medical journals, including the American Journal of Clinical Oncology and for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an organization for which he also served as Director. During his tenure as Director, Chris was nationally recognized as a leader in the areas of health care policy, health services research, and quality of medical care while acting as the clinical leader for the organization's numerous innovative programs. Chris' dedication and extraordinary servant-leadership set new standards for cancer care everywhere.
Mary Michele Mariscalco, Class of 1973
Salutatorian of her Alter class, Mary continued to the University of Dayton where she graduated in Biology, Summa Cum Laude, and continued her studies at the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Her residency in pediatrics was in Houston at the Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, where she was also awarded a Fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.
Mary is currently a Staff Physician in Intensive Care Pediatrics at Texas Children's Hospital, serves as the Director of the Leukocyte Function Laboratory, and is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Fellowship program for Critical Care Pediatric Medicine at Baylor College. Her professional credentials further include membership to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Thoracic Society, and the Society of Critical Care Medicine for which she also serves on the Editorial Board. For the Pediatric Critical Care Scientist Development Program, she is a member of its National Advisory Committee and fills the role of Consulting Editor for the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.
Mary has committed her entire career to saving the lives of critically ill and injured children for which she is held in high esteem among her colleagues and medical professionals at large. Her life's work and tremendous achievement exemplify the highest ideals of an Alter education.
Michael Mercurio, Class of 1988 (Deceased)
Mike first attended Bowling Green State University for his undergraduate degree in finance, followed by pre-med work at the University of Cincinnati and a Doctor of Dental Medicine Degree in 1999 from the University of Pennsylvania. Mike was then accepted into the prestigious three-year dental training program at the University of Southern California where he became certified in Endodontics. While maintaining his own successful medical practice for several years in Camarillo, CA, it was his dental work outside the office that revealed the true spirit of this man.
In association with Heart of Hope Ministries, Mike would travel to Romania and provide free dental treatment every year to orphaned children, most of whom had never seen a dentist, and if not for Mike, would have continued to suffer. He received the Rotarian of the Year award for his good work from the Rotary Club, a group for which he was both a member and the treasurer. Additionally, in an effort to cultivate intercultural sensitivities and understanding, Mike helped lead a group to a Lakota Indian reservation in South Dakota where again, the kindness he extended bridged history with healing. He brought smiles to those he touched through both the skill of his hands and the depth of his heart. Mike Mercurio made a "world of difference" to all who were blessed to know him during his all too brief time in this world.
Therese Johnson Borchard, Class of 1989
Therese is the author of the hit daily blog "Beyond Blue" which was launched in 2006 on Beliefnet.com and was voted by PsychCentral.com as one of the top ten depression blogs available. Therese provides a compelling daily resource that chronicles her own journey through anxiety, depression and addiction, exploring these struggles through the lens of spirituality and faith. She also moderates a popular depression support group with over 1200 members on Beliefnet's social networking site.
Therese is the editor of The Imperfect Mom: Candid Confessions of Mothers Living in the Real World, featured in Real Simple, Parenting, More, Working Mother, Psychology Today, Fit Pregnancy, the Chicago Tribune, and on Salon.com. She is also the editor of I Love Being Mom: Treasured Stories, Memories, and Milestones, featured in Redbook, Parenting, Baby Talk, the Chicago Tribune, and the Detroit Free Press. With Michael Leach, she is also co-editor of A Celebration of a Married Life, and the national bestseller I Like Being Catholic. Her memoir, Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety, and Making the Most of Bad Genes, will be released in April of 2009.
Therese has also published numerous articles and her nationally syndicated column, "Our Turn," is distributed biweekly by Catholic News Service. She is featured regularly on radio programs throughout the country and has been a repeated guest on national television programs, such as "Fox and Friends" (Fox News Channel) and "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" (ABC). Therese is a graduate of St. Mary's College with a Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies and Communications, and earned an M.A. in Theology from University of Notre Dame.
Athletic Inductees
Michael Krug, Class of 1994
In wrestling, Mike was a team captain for two years and was a four-year Varsity Letterman at Alter. Competing in Division II wrestling, he had a 39-2 record his senior year and a 102-27 varsity career record while at Alter. Mike's junior and senior years in particular brought him numerous athletic honors: two-time 1st Team GCL, Alter MVP, Sectional Champion, District Champion, and Dayton Daily News All-Area Wrestling Team. In 1994, he added State Champion, Dayton Daily News All-Area Wrestling Team, and GCL Wrestler of the Year. Mike was formally recognized by the City of Kettering and the State of Ohio for his success on the mat and was named Athlete of the Week by Jack Huelsman, Channel 7 sports. Mike was also skilled in football, earning Freshman, Reserve and two Varsity Letters, taking to the field in two state playoffs in 1991 and 1992, and was named 1st Team GCL Defensive Tackle in 1993.
Mike's academic record at Alter was just as impressive with his 4.08 GPA and National Merit Commended Scholar achievement, in addition to serving as a Kairos leader and earning the Outstanding Service Award at graduation. Accepted into West Point Academy and offered a partial academic scholarship to the University of Dayton, Mike instead continued the family legacy by attending the University of Notre Dame where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in Accounting. He received his MBA from UD and become a CPA. Mike is currently a controller at Lastar, Inc., in Moraine. He serves on the Board of Directors for Glen Helen, is a lector at Incarnation Parish, and has been the Assistant Wrestling coach at Alter since 2001.
Mary McDonald, Class of 1977
In her senior year at Alter, Mary averaged 18.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the 14-5 Lady Knights basketball team, hitting 50 percent of her shots from the floor and 73.5 from the free throw line. The 5-10 forward earned a place on the Dayton Metro All-Star first team, the Kettering-Oakwood Times All-Area first team, the Greater Dayton League first team and was an honorable mention All-State selection. She was among the first women ever to receive a basketball scholarship to attend the University of Dayton where her success on the court continued from 1977-1981.
At UD, she was a member of the 1980 Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Division II National Championship Basketball team, and the 1979 AIAW Small College Basketball team, 2nd place National Champions. With her Bachelor of Science in Education, she continued to Xavier for her Masters in Education and later earned a PhD in Cultural Studies of Sports and Leisure from the University of Iowa in 1995. She is now living in Cincinnati and is an associate Professor at Miami University (OH) in Kinesiology and Health.
In 2000, Mary was inducted into the University of Dayton's Hall of Fame with the National Championship team of 1980.
John Daniel "Dan" Meyer, Class of 1966
Leading the way as part of the first graduating class from Alter, Dan Meyer set the starting bar high for the Alter Basketball team in personal stats for point totals and rebounds. His numerous career records at the time of graduation reflect a team that was indeed new, but notwithstanding, his talent was undeniable. He was First Team All-City, 2nd Team All-State, and was named Most Valuable Player of the Holiday Tournament. His ability on our court caught the attention of Coach Billy Packer from Wake Forest University where Dan played on the Freshman team (freshman then were not allowed to play on varsity), finishing #1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Dan then transferred and finished his basketball career at Bowling Green State University where his team finished second in the Mid-American Conference.
Dan is currently living in Florida where he is the Senior Admissions Advisor at Kaplan University. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Saint Maurice Church Men's Club, where he is also an usher for Sunday Mass. Dan has four children: Katie, Carol, Rob and Johnathan. In his free time, he takes time to golf, boat, snorkel, fish and bike.
Vincent Nyhan, Class of 1981
Vince Nyhan set the pace in cross country running and track during his time at Alter as the career record holder in the 3200 Meter (9:19:6), the Mile Run and the Two Mile Run. In addition, he was an eight-time Varsity A Letterman. He was in the top ten of the AAA All-State Recognition three consecutive years for cross country, and also in the top ten twice for AAA All-State Recognition 3200 Meter Run. His success at Alter took him to Ohio University on a full athletic scholarship where he continued to impress. He was a six-time Varsity Letterman, #17 in the USA among NCAA national competitors, placed #72 out of 10,000 in Chicago America's Marathon with a time of 2:32:16 and led the University's cross country team to the All-Ohio Championship in 1984.
Vince earned his Bachelors in Communication with minors in Marketing, Management and General Business from Ohio University. This gave him the skills critical to successfully operate his own business, Vinny's Bar and Grill, which opened in 2001 in Moraine, Ohio. He continues to run as a hobby, coaches at the YMCA and has also offered summer retail internship programs to students in business. He's been married to his wife, Jane, for eleven years. The have two sons, Vincent (9) and Jack (7), both attending St. Charles elementary school.
