A Life-Changing Education: MHS Senior Raises the Bar in Achieving U.S. Air Force Academy Dream
At the 2024 Opening of School Assembly (OSA), the story of Milton Hershey School senior Josh Gibb showcased the impact of Career-Focused Education at the school. In a video feature, Gibb shared his goal of attending the U.S. Air Force Academy—a highly selective school that only accepts about 10% of applicants. Since OSA, through daily commitment, great effort, and the incredible support of MHS career counselors and staff—especially Jen Benson—Gibb learned his dream has come true.
“I’m truly proud of Josh for the way he represented himself and MHS,” said Benson, a career services support specialist at MHS. “I’m so impressed by his dedication and persistence. Josh is a shining example of what Milton and Catherine Hershey intended our students to become when they founded our school.”
During the application process, which included panel interviews, a fitness test, and other tasks assigned by the U.S. Department of Defense, Gibb made a tremendous impression—earning a required U.S. Congressional recommendation to solidify his candidacy and earn his Air Force appointment. Gibb further raised the bar by crafting a powerful essay that demonstrated his core desire to serve his nation and achieve greatness by helping others.
“You have to be a hard worker to get the things you want,” Gibb said. “Everybody should go for what they find important to them. We can all rise up by giving our full effort in everything.”
Benson was instrumental in Gibb’s successful application efforts and post-graduate plans, providing the type of personalized and tailored assistance that MHS aims to give all of its students. Through Graduate Programs for Success, MHS makes a deep commitment to career readiness, offering an abundance of resources, connections, and guidance.
“It’s important to me to give my very best to our students and to allow them to reach their fullest potential,” said Benson. “Applying for admission to the U.S. Service Academies is understandably challenging, and even someone as talented as Josh can use some help to navigate the process. This support is what makes MHS so unique. It’s students like Josh that make my job so fulfilling.”
Through training in the Air Force Academy, Gibb hopes to eventually become a pilot—but he has even bigger, out-of-this-world goals in mind that would truly Raise the Bar to new heights.
“I want to become an astronaut for NASA,” Gibb said.
At OSA, Gibb’s father put his son’s dreams into perspective.
“For a lot of people, you hear [his dreams] and say, ‘good luck with that.’ But for Josh, he can do it. I think he can do it,” said L.J. Gibb, who himself has served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Added Benson: “There is no doubt that this year Josh raised the bar.”
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