INTRODUCTION
It must be acknowledged that, while the Highland Heights experience was unsolicited, ours is a most unusual heritage. For some, it has been accepted as a fulfilling and rewarding event in our lives; for others, it may be observed as an agonizing episode that we would rather forget ever happened. Regardless, we all have a common bond; we are the alumni of an institution that was instrumental in affecting who we became and, in turn, influenced the world of which we became an extraordinary part.
Some of us have decided never to talk about what we went through, denying that we were ever at a place called Highland Heights. In the mind of some, the idea of being placed in an orphanage may carry a certain stigma. We believe that view is totally unwarranted. Most of the reasons we have chosen for remaining silent may seem to serve an acceptable purpose; maybe in denial we have found the strength to overcome the memories of that past. Nonetheless, we should realize that what happened to us, where we spent those years or months, was completely out of our control. We were merely children and we had no choice in the matter, we were not to blame; nor were we able to change the circumstances that brought us to the steps of that large brick building. We can only accept that those who brought us to Highland Heights thought they were doing for us the best they could. It was not our fault, nor perhaps theirs. It would be impossible to say that we did not suffer emotional scars; but we did overcome, despite the odds against us. Whether we did so in a positive or negative manner is a personal conclusion. Even so, we lived the experience and ultimately, we survived.
This site is intended to keep alive all of the memories, good and bad, that were the experiences of Highland Heights. Regardless of the perception of our memory, we lived and shared in it together; it was an extraordinary event in our lives and should not be lost to indifference and denial.