Milton Hershey School Greater Together: Family Relations
A campaign acknowledging Milton Hershey School staff who look out for one another, achieve goals, and lift up the MHS community to make us Greater Together.
Congratulations, Ododo Walsh, Jay Garvey, and Sarah Pearson!
Family Relations Q&A:
Define what makes MHS a community.
We work directly with parents/sponsors and MHS staff, giving us a unique perspective of the community. We see daily how our staff and families work together to help students make the most of their time at MHS. There is nothing better than seeing houseparents welcome a new student and their family on Enrollment Day; then, seeing them all celebrate together with many tears of joy when that same student graduates from MHS.
Has your team talked about the Greater Together theme with students you are mentoring? How so?
Our team is fortunate to work with and mentor MHS students in many ways. This begins with welcoming new students on Enrollment Days, followed by our participation in mentoring programs across divisions. Our team volunteers with the Elementary Division Co-Pilot mentoring program, the new Middle Division Milton’s Middles mentoring program, and the Senior Division M.O.L.D. mentoring program. We also work with student interns to offer hands-on experiences. Throughout these interactions, we focus on our annual theme of Greater Together.
List and describe a few ways your team is incorporating this year’s theme into your daily roles at MHS?
Greater Together has always been a theme within Family Relations. We frequently say that our role is to ensure that parents/sponsors feel secure and confident in their decision to enroll their child at MHS. That often involves us helping parents/sponsors connect with the right person or program on campus, or supporting MHS staff as they work with sponsors. We aspire to be community builders and have the responsibility of making sure our parents/sponsors feel connected and supported.
Have there been moments this school year where you and your team have mentioned that MHS is Greater Together? Share examples.
We were able to use this year’s theme for our Fall Family Weekend, where for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are able to host on-campus and virtual events. Although we were able to engage our families virtually last year, we are truly Greater Together when we can be here on campus.
What is your best piece of advice to the MHS community to make this year great?
My best advice is to embrace every opportunity to connect with our students, their parents/sponsors, and our staff. We have had to be apart for so long. I believe we need to be intentional in finding ways to connect. Go to athletic games and Visual and Performing Arts performances, join or provide Family Weekend programming, and sign up to mentor a student. There are so many opportunities to be Greater Together!
Is your team Greater Together? Do you know staff members who look out for one another, achieve goals, and lift up the MHS community? Email us their names and titles at Milton Hershey School.