Thy Traditions Dear Milton Hershey School® Alumni Magazine Spring 2019 Fellowship Weekend Scrapbook View more photos online at mhsalum.org Pages 16 & 17 Dear Milton Thy Traditions Hershey School Dear The Mission of Thy Traditions Dear is to share the stories of the Milton Hershey School family Family: with our alumni, students, staff, and retirees in Never in my wildest dreams did I ever honor and celebration of our founders, think I would become a member of the Milton and Catherine Hershey. Milton Hershey School family! Advisory Board I was born and raised on Pat’s Hill, Pastor Mike Wagner where I continue to live today. My great- Director, Religious Programs grandfather was Robinson Patrick, Lorraine Romberger ’83 after whom Pat’s Hill was named. I Coordinator, Alumni Engagement learned that he played an important role Laura Schmidt in Milton Hershey’s plans. One of Mr. MHS Office of Communications Hershey’s most treasured acquisitions was the procurement of the Robinson John Hanawalt ’70 Alumnus Patrick farm, in 1909, 30 years before I was born. This land served many needs John Forry for Mr. Hershey’s town. Pat’s Hill became Home Life Administrator, Senior Division the site for several of Mr. Hershey’s prized accomplishments: the beautiful, world-renowned Hotel Hershey, the Tanya Baynham Hershey Rose Gardens, and a high school and vocational school for the students— Vice President, Graduate Programs for Success Division the Hershey Industrial School. Fast forward: The Patrick family extended to the east of these entities. I grew Susan Alger up between two student homes—Woodside and Rosemont. I lived within walking Coodinator, Heritage School History distance of the stadium and the high school, thus able to attend many of the MHS Fonati (Ward) Abrokwa ’01 football and basketball games. When I was 5 years old, I remember walking to the Home Life Administrator, high school, in order to pass by Mr. Hershey lying in state. I will never forget that day. Elementary Division Later, as a teenager, I attended a number of unit (now known as student home) Editor parties. What fun! Catherine Skena Then came my graduation from Hershey High School, college, marriage, a Coordinator, Alumni Development & Outreach family, and teaching at Central Dauphin Middle School and Yeshiva Academy. Assistant Editor At the age of 40, I seized the opportunity to teach science at Catherine Hall—the Ralph Carfagno ’73 MHS middle school. What an opportunity. It had been a school for boys, and girls Sr. Director, Alumni Relations were now being enrolled. They needed someone to work with girls’ activities, so, I began teaching science and coaching cheerleading at the middle and high schools. We had so many games, games, and more games to cheer for! Then, I added track and cross country to my coaching jobs. It was a very busy 22 years, but very rewarding. Although you get to know the students in your classroom pretty well, it is in coaching that you get to know them so much better—relationships you never Thy Traditions Dear forget. Milton Hershey School® Alumni Magazine I retired from MHS in 2002. I missed the school and the students so much, Spring 2019 I began to take part-time jobs, and in no time, I was up to seven, including academic and athletic. I have grown to love the students, the employees, and the graduates of MHS. In 2005, I became an honorary member of the MHS Alumni Association. I am extremely privileged to have this honor bestowed on me. This past year, I lost the last of my immediate family—my brother, Randy, who Fellowship Weekend Scrapbook quite a few alumni knew through playing softball, basketball, or golf throughout View more photos online at mhsalum.org Pages 16 & 17 the years. (You probably remember that he always liked to win.) But, I still have hundreds of brothers and sisters from MHS, and the family During Alumni Fellowship Weekend in keeps growing. It is so great to interact with former students at Homecoming, April, more than 30 Milton Hershey School games, senior dinners, and many other events. I encourage all alumni to attend alumni volunteered to talk to senior high as many of these events as possible. The Milton Hershey family is unique and very school students about their careers during special! the annual Career Exploration Expo. Alumni shared how their individual skills and experiences have helped them succeed in the Ruth Holp 21st century workplace. Visit mhsalum.org MHSAA Honorary Member to learn about the opportunities for alumni to get involved in supporting current students and recent graduates. Alumni Association News 1 2 Contents Features 2 From Sea to Shining Sea—How a Group of MHS Alumni Supported a Young Milt’s Journey to College 8 Flynn an Inspiration to Students, Alumni, and Staff 8 12 MHS Provides Foundation for Alumna’s Work in Public Health Departments 4 School and Student News Department of School History 10 12 14 Graduate Programs for Success Division & Alumni Relations 16 Fellowship Weekend 2019 Scrapbook 19 Alumni Association News and Class Notes 2 Feature From Sea to Shining Sea—How a Group of MHS Alumni supported a Young Milt’s Journey to College By Susanna Compare ’18 From camping in Badlands National Park in South Dakota to buying a cowboy hat in Montana, Jared T. Ross’ ’18 summer was nothing short of adventurous. home where stability was never certain, California by car—because in his eyes, Jared’s mother decided to send her son he had nothing to lose. to Hershey with the hope of a brighter Jared was not sure what his trip future. Although Jared was reluctant in would look like, and what literal and coming, it was only a matter of months figurative road bumps he would run before he realized what was so special into along the way. He was certain, about the school located in a town however, that he could count on the named after a chocolate bar. MHS community to guide him in the While at MHS, Jared was involved in right direction, as they had for the last a plethora of activities and transformed five years of his life. into a bright, healthy, confident, and “If not for the MHS community, past ared was exactly one-month post- talented young man. Upon his arrival and present, I would have been a lot graduation from Milton Hershey in eighth grade, Jared immediately hungrier, and slept in my car a lot more SchoolJ when he packed up his white joined the football team, and over during my trip.” 1998 BMW and drove out of rural his first Thanksgiving vacation at From giving gift cards and supplies Pennsylvania to begin his life as the school, he went on a History of before he left campus to purchasing a student at the University of San America trip to Gettysburg, where a hotel rooms and opening up their Francisco. He was on a mission to passion for travel began to blossom. homes, the MHS community at large make the impossible seem possible, and “Getting the opportunity to travel continued to treat Jared as a member of inspire other young MHS graduates more and the friends that I made along this very extensive, diverse, and unique to do the same. What he got was much the way made History of America trips family. After reaching out to the greater more. He discovered a unique network so fun for me,” he shared. MHS alumni community on social of people from around the country Throughout the rest of his time media, he received encouragement and who gave to him with gratitude, intent, at MHS, Jared excelled in all areas dozens of offers of support. vision, and enthusiasm—just like our by becoming a leader in the Student “We treated each other as friends and founders. Government Association, participating family, skipping over the acquaintance “I wanted to show that I can in a three-week service learning trip stage of our relationships,” he shared. do anything, even when it seems to Ghana, continuing to play football Jared visited and got to know unreasonable,” Jared said. and most importantly, inspiring his numerous MHS graduates over his From the very beginning of his MHS classmates to believe in their dreams. 12-day adventure. Among these journey, it was the people at MHS Nothing was impossible to Jared, so it graduates were Chuck and Cyndi that kept Jared focused, even though was no surprise when he announced to Seidel ’87 from Salt Lake City, Utah. his family was 3,000 miles away in his friends and mentors that he would Both Chuck and Cyndi graduated Seattle, Washington. Coming from a be taking the 3,600-mile journey to from MHS and opened their home Feature 3 Jared’s support from MHS alumni did not end following his 3,600-mile journey. After learning he had been chosen to go on an educational trip to Brazil, he reached out to the Graduate Programs for Success Division at MHS for help. By working with Vice President of GPS, Tanya Baynham, he learned about financial opportunities through the Dearden Foundation. The Dearden Foundation was created to honor the legacy of William E. Dearden ’40 and provides short-term emergency assistance to recent graduates with housing, transportation, medical, and educational related needs. Jared wrote a proposal to the foundation and was awarded partial to Jared during his journey. They that he could call upon his friends, funding for his trip. In return, he did this because they understand mentors, and new alumni brothers and was asked to pay it forward to fellow the miraculous gifts that MHS gives sisters to help him when he was at a graduates in the future.