Elder High School has been a West side staple for over 90 years. Throughout those 90 years, many students have moved on to do big things in life. Graduating to become politicians, pro athletes, and doctors are just a small sample of what Elder students have gone on to do. Since the school has opened in 1922, over 20,000 students have graduated.

When many people think about Elder, it is usually about the rich tradition in sports. Elder is home to the Pit, named one of the best places to watch a high school football game. There has been a good amount of athletes to play college, and even the NFL football from Elder.

One of the first to make it pro early on in Elder history, was Robert Hoernschemeyer. Hoernschemeyer graduated from Elder in 1942. He then went on to play football at Indiana University, leading the NCAA total offense yards and passing yards in 1943. He is more known for playing in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. Hoernschemeyer was drafted in the ninth round of the draft in 1947. He averaged 5.6 yards a carry in his rookie year, third best at the time.

Hoernschemeyer would eventually win a NFL Championship in 1952. During that season, he led the team in rushing yards for the third straight season. That same year, Hoernschemeyer was selected to play in the pro bowl. His football career ended in 1955, due to a shoulder injury.

Hoernschemeyer is a person that people never really talk about, even though he could be one of the best athletes to come out of Elder High School. He died in 1980, after a long battle with cancer.

But there are more than athletes to come out of Elder. One West side name that everyone knows is Steve Driehaus. Driehaus is an Elder High School graduate of 1984. At Elder, he was  class president. He then went on to Miami University. To start off his political career, Driehaus was an aide to Cincinnati City Council member Todd Portune. He then went on to serve four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives.

One of his more recent runs was the 2010 congressional campaign. He was challenged by Republican nominee Steve Chabot. Driehaus would lose that race by a 52% to 45% margin. He was also involved in the Peace Corps; there he was the director of an HIV/AIDS coalition in Swaziland.

Bill Hemmer is a well-known guy around the West side. As a graduate of Our Lady of Victory and Elder, Hemmer went on the big stage in the broadcasting business. Hemmer’s first big job was with CNN. Some of the big events Hemmer covered was the Olympic bombing in 1996, the recount of the 2000 Presidential Election, 9/11 attacks, and the death of Pope John Paul II. He has even received an Emmy Award.

In 2005, Hemmer switched over to Fox News. Ever since he joined Fox News, he has covered the presidential elections, the Iraq war, and the earthquake in Haiti.

Every single student who walks out of Elder has a story. All students will have different directions in life, whether it is college or career. These three Elder alums show how there can be a different and succesful career path for everyone.