Milton Hershey School Seniors Enhance Confidence, Independence, and More Through Residential Program
The Milton Hershey School Transitional Living (TL) program prepares senior students for life as young adults. In their final year at MHS, students move from student homes to apartment-style residences on campus. They learn life lessons such as independence, community living, social and emotional skill-building, health and financial habits, and much more.
Below, MHS seniors share what they’ve learned through the Transitional Living program and how it’s a valuable experience that prepares them for life after MHS.
Craig, MHS senior student
The TL experience is great. We get to experience paying bills, making meal plans with our peers, and managing our own schedule. Why is it valuable to me? I think it’s a great taste of life after MHS. We get to take on responsibilities so we’re prepared when we graduate. I’m very thankful for the TL experience.
Edna, MHS senior student
I think TL is a great experience. It taught me more about responsibility and how to hold myself accountable. Those are two key things you need in life, both before and after graduation.
Lyderiah, MHS senior student
TL gives seniors independence and a taste of what life will be like post-MHS. Through TL, we have a safe environment to learn, make mistakes, and learn from our mistakes. We also learn how to budget food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and other things. TL teaches us how to coexist with apartment mates and come up with compromises on living conditions. This is really important for after graduation.
Carlos, MHS senior student
TL is where you live when you are a senior at MHS. The staff in TL are there to help us. We meet one-on-one with TL staff to check in and see how we’re doing throughout the year. TL allows us to learn how to cook, and we get to go shopping. It’s a place where we can start our adult life before we graduate from MHS.
Riley, MHS senior student
My MHS experience is good because of TL. I like having conversations with my TL staff and the other girls in my TL building. Every day, we wake up and say good morning to each other. We have a good family-like bond that will continue after we graduate from MHS.
Prince, MHS senior student
For me, the TL experience at MHS is a jump-start to real life. It’s a valuable experience because it exposes us to real-world problems and provides us with social, economic, and health information. Here at MHS, we can use this to prepare for life after graduation through gaining independence while working on different skills and honing our ability to rely on ourselves. My experience at MHS, especially in TL, has been both amazing and memorable. I thank all those who work in TL and Home Life.
Dontrell, MHS senior student
TL is the place to grow. The TL program teaches us essential skills like financial literacy, health habits, and community living. These are all necessary for life after MHS whether that be post-secondary school, military, or the world of work. I think a lot of students that go through this experience are given the tools to be successful after graduation. I thank MHS for enabling that opportunity and self-agency for myself. I think self-sufficiency is one of the most important aspects of life, and TL does a great job at providing that to MHS seniors.
Autumn, MHS senior student
TL has given me many bonds that I didn’t have before, not only with the students but also with the staff. The staff have given me a lot of advice that will help me in my future after MHS. I’ve been taught how to budget my money and how to have effective communication.
Ariana, MHS senior student
Even though the TL experience can be hard at times, I know that I am gaining a lot of valuable information and learning many lessons through it. The TL staff are there to support us. They help us along the way while also encouraging us to be independent. This experience is helping to prepare me for college. For example, even though I may not be best friends with a roommate, I am still able to work through the conflicts.
What Makes the MHS Experience Amazing?
