Creek honored 10 new inductees to the school’s Hall of Fame on Thursday night, celebrating the achievements of alumni and teachers from the classes of the 1970s to the 90s. Held at the Curtis Ballroom, each honoree filmed a video that explained their experiences, and then was presented with their award after a speech to the audience.
For Assistant Principal Dr. Krista Keogh, who organized the ceremony, the event served as an opportunity to speak to Creek’s part in the success that these individuals have found after high school, while also demonstrating the school’s connection to its alumni.
“The legacy that we are leaving is really important to me,” Keogh said. “I think we have an amazing tradition. Our school is getting older, and so we have some pretty amazing people that have been a part of our legacy. And I just wanted to honor that and be a part of that.”
The Hall of Fame project began as part of an effort headed by students in 2019, who similarly wanted to honor Creek’s legacy. Now, two video Hall of Fame boards have been installed in the IC building and in the West athletics hallway, where students can scroll through and watch videos about past inductees.
“Until two years ago, I was the Activities Director at Creek, and there were actually a couple of classes that, as their class gifts, were interested in being a part of creating a Hall of Fame,” Keogh said. “And it’s been something that [Athletics Director] Jason Wilkins and I had been working on for several, several years between his Athletics Hall of Fame, and then my arts, sciences and humanities one.”
The inductees that were honored hold significant achievement in their respective fields. Honorees included an adaptive technology designer, television executive producer, multiple retired teachers and anthropologists, a Broadway performer, the host of “American Ninja Warrior,” a classic music producer, and a former Air National Guard pilot.
Inductees reflected on their time at Creek, and often spoke of their favorite memories and teachers who impacted them as high schoolers. Most also believed that the event was important because it allowed them to remember who they were as high schoolers, and connect with other alumni.
“We are a lineage, and we pass on our knowledge, our experiences, and our personal connections,” said inductee Aaron Larget-Caplan, (‘96) a classical guitarist with millions of online streams and a background in education. “There’s no AI that’s going to do that. There’s no online course walking the halls and trying to discover how I worked or clicked.”
Dr. Neal Baer (‘73), a television producer with a background in science has worked on shows like “Law & Order SVU,” “Designated Survivor,” and “ER,” attested to how his time at schools in the CCSD allowed him to move forward with his career.
“I think that fundamentally, Holly Ridge, Holly Hills, Cherry Creek East, and Creek set the stage for the work I do now, certainly in writing for television documentaries and unscripted shows, but also my love of science,” Baer said.
Other inductees, like “American Ninja Warrior” host and stand up comedian Matt Iseman reflected on their childhoods, even going so far as to record their videos in their childhood bedroom after traveling back to Colorado for the event.
“That room is unchanged since June 1989 when I graduated from high school,” Iseman said. “And I go through that room, and I think it’s filled with memories from Creek, including my yearbook. I read some of the signatures in the back, and I realized so many of my friends back then are still my friends today.”
Inductees who are retired teachers also expressed how their students from Creek impacted them personally. David Stallings, who taught art at Creek from 2000 to 2021, discussed how, even when overwhelmed by outside commitments, never cut any of the clubs he was hosting due to a student whom he befriended.
“He sat down next to my desk and said, ‘Are we going to have an animation club this year? Because it’s the only reason that I come to school.’ I looked at him and immediately said, ‘Yes, we will have an animation club.’ Because of him and other students, I never cut any of my extracurricular activities,” Stallings said.
For Keogh, the event was a success – inductees reflected on their time at Creek, bonded with each other over shared experiences, and honored Creek’s legacy.
“I love bringing people together, and celebrating all of the things that Creek has done for people in the past,” she said. “Almost every single one of these people had a story, or a teacher, or a person that helped them become the person that they are now.”
