Sitting in the Highlands High School Library, student mentor Amy Leigh tells senior intern Brayden Moeves she has something to show him. As she pulls a set of shiny silverware from a bag, he’s able to see the dinner set is emblazoned with an iconic name: BEVERLY HILLS SUPPER CLUB.

The renowned Northern Kentucky restaurant was not only the site of Highlands class of 1958’s graduation dinner, it’s also the newest potential addition to the Highlands Stories project, where it will take it’s place in a glass counter among other notable artifacts from the school’s history.

Between the two – along with generous help from countless other Fort Thomas students past and present – Leigh and Moeves have amassed a collection of relics which tell the story of the school’s history dating back to the 1920s.

The contents of this glass case tell the tale of the school, from a mid-century prom king crown to a handful of nerf bullets to signify the current student trend. A gift from the HHS class of 1958 and spearheaded by 2023 Alumnus of the Year William Waddell, Highlands Stories was born from a similar display Waddell noticed in the Philadelphia airport while traveling.

Putting out an all-call for historic items from the school’s past, Waddell teamed with former classmates like Nancy Vail McEntire, Bonnie Hoffmann, Don Arey and Gene Taylor for help collecting and writing about their finds.

 “We have been very pleased with the response from everyone connected with Highlands – administrators, teachers, students, alumni, the FTEF – in contributing items and otherwise,” says Waddell.

Funding was helped by earmarked monies donated to the Fort Thomas Education Foundation with requests to help see the project thrive. And as alumni who recently toured the exhibit during homecoming, the memories were palpable. “It’s so nice seeing people looking and saying ‘oh, I forgot we did that,’” says Moeves. “The smiles on their faces are just so great.”

The project is always in search of unique items which might fit within the tone of the project, items more eye-catching than the standard photos or yearbooks. Heidi Neltner has helped to spearhead the website – where guests can see items or find information on contributing their own items for inclusion – and the Highlands journalism department helps create the text accompanying them.

“It’s so amazing to see younger students interviewing older past students, laughing and connecting with one another,” Leigh says. “It’s great to see generations working together.”