Alumni
Maintaining the Bond
Milton Hershey School alumni, or “Milts,” share bonds that last a lifetime. Our graduates are the people they are today because they are Spartans.
Just as MHS has helped its students learn and grow through the years, this is just another transition. The Graduate Programs for Success (GPS) Division is there to support students as they become alumni. We also work to keep graduates connected—to MHS and to each other.
Preparing Soon-to-Be Graduates
High school students and new graduates first call upon GPS to help with:
- Providing career and college counselor guidance during high school and postgraduate years
- Navigating a career path or apprenticeship/trade school learning
- Locating an internship
- Preparing to obtain employment
- Enlisting in the military
Resources and Support for Young Alumni
GPS also provides resources and supportive relationships for young alumni after graduation. Access them through our sister website, mhsalum.org. These tools include:
- Materials to help with college application and financial aid processes
- Continuing Education Scholarship management tools
- Support from higher education specialists while enrolled in college and managing the experience
- Help finding fellow alumni working in a certain field or living in a specific area
Alumna’s Journey from Student to College Faculty
Enrolling as a sophomore at MHS, Dr. Alex Redcay ’95 was just embarking on a successful journey in education. She quickly made friends with other students, recognized the positive spirit and genuineness of teachers, and realized her vision for her future thanks to houseparents and other staff.
A Connected Network
Students who attend MHS share a unique and unbreakable bond. Alumni mentor one another, share career and life advice, and serve as family. They lovingly refer to one another as Milt brothers and sisters. The MHS Alumni Relations department, part of GPS, provides resources to keep this network of graduates connected, including:
- Publications
- Volunteering opportunities
- Alumni events and awards opportunities
Alumnus/na of the Year
The MHS Alumnus/na of the Year award is the highest honor the school can bestow on a graduate. Each year, we select one graduate who has gone above and beyond to represent the values of MHS in their personal and professional lives.
Milton Hershey School named Jocelyn Bioh ’01 as the 2022 Alumna of the Year in recognition for her accomplishments in the visual and performing arts. Bioh said she is proud to be the youngest and first Black woman to receive this prestigious honor and to be a vessel in which diversity is spotlighted.
Milton Hershey School named Christine (Brennan) Cook ’81 as the 2021 Alumna of the Year in recognition for her 35-year career teaching kindergarten at MHS. Cook shared that MHS enhanced her life in more ways than she could have imagined and gives credit to the role models she idolized as a student.
Milton Hershey School named retired Lt. Col. Charles “Chuck” Seidel ’87 as the 2020 Alumnus of the Year in recognition for his 27-year career with the U.S. Air Force and for his work in leading one of the Air Force’s top strategic initiatives—the Long Range Strike Bomber program at the Pentagon. Chuck is incredibly grateful for the true impact that MHS has had on every aspect of his life, from developing his work ethic to teaching him how to care for others.
Milton Hershey School has named William Charles Ballough Harding ’78 the 2019 Alumnus of the Year in recognition for his work within the biomedical industry, where he is changing lives by creating solutions to global healthcare challenges through the development of new and improved medical devices. As seen in his resilience and innovative spirit, William epitomizes the vision of our founders.
Milton Hershey School has named Wendy MacClinchy ’92 the 2018 Alumna of the Year in recognition of her work within the global peace and security, diplomacy, humanitarian, and sustainable development fields. Wendy shared that the school changed her life through the investment MHS made in her character and future successes.
Alumni Achievement
Our graduates serve an important role in the Milton Hershey School family. They are role models for generations to come. Their success today is due in part to a nurturing foundation from MHS.
“Since I was a child, I wanted to be a positive agent of change. I wanted to work to alleviate suffering and poverty, and ultimately, try to get at conflicts’ root causes.”
“My passion for agriculture was cultivated on the grounds at MHS. These experiences set the stage and created the groundwork for what I'm doing today.”
MHS Alumni Association
Graduates come together as proud alumni through the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association (MHSAA). MHSAA’s office is located on the Dearden Alumni Campus. Young graduates receive free membership for the first six years after graduation.
