Milton Hershey School Student Calculates the Impact of Diversity
By Phoenix Frohmander, MHS student
Milton Hershey School started The Compass Project Grow last school year. It’s part of The Compass Project program that focuses on helping people to grow. Through forums on different topics that take place outside of school, The Compass Project Grow prepares us for situations that we may experience in the future.
The forums provide a safe space for students and adults on campus to talk about very important things. They also give students the opportunity to speak their mind and ask questions about the topic. The more we learn and talk about now, the better we will be able to navigate the interactions we will have in the coming years and even after we graduate from MHS.
We are the future. MHS has about 2,000 different students. And each one of us affects probably thousands of different people throughout our lives. So that’s millions of people who just the students at MHS will eventually affect. Giving us positive interactions with others and adults on campus—helping us grow in how we approach those interactions—will help create more positivity for everyone’s future. It’s not just helping students at MHS; it’s also helping us help others.
At MHS, diversity is important—diversity in opinions, diversity in people. I think it’s amazing to experience so many people from so many different areas and interact with them. I really like diversity because I like learning new things. Inclusion is about taking that diversity and putting it into practice.
The Compass Project Grow helps all of these different people at MHS see past any barriers that would normally hold someone back from talking or sharing their feelings. The program also helps students and adults on campus to learn more about what other people think, which can help us understand others’ thoughts better.
This is going to be my ninth year at MHS. I have seen myself mature more each year since I enrolled in second grade. I’ve grown and can handle certain situations better. MHS has given me so many opportunities because of the staff here. They are natural examples of character and leadership. Their leadership during forums and discussions in The Compass Project Grow helps MHS students learn and grow.
The Compass Project Grow 2021-22 Events
On Sept. 8, 2021, MHS held its first student voice forum of the 2021-22 school year titled, “Self-Care: You Have to Nourish to Flourish.” Nina Jett, MHS Senior Division Behavioral Health Support Specialist, and Will Ogle, MHS Senior Division Home Life Training Specialist, led students through a workshop to help them develop a self-care plan and build awareness around external factors that could interfere with their plan. Students left the event with a commitment to their plan and the mission of MHS.
MHS Student Voice Platform Brings Students and Staff Together
