Milton Hershey School Senior Commits to Raising the Bar

By Hayden Cline, MHS Senior

We are our founders’ legacy. I am thankful to Mr. and Mrs. Hershey for giving me hope and a hunger for new opportunities to break the cycle of poverty. But my hunger wasn’t always fueled by hope. At one point in time before attending Milton Hershey School, I hadn’t eaten in days.

No matter how hard I tried to make my mind blank, I couldn’t help but think about every excruciating detail of my surroundings: the t-shirt that hadn’t been washed in weeks, the hole-ridden shoes that my feet were nearly bulging out of, the feeling of hopelessness, the longing for a home, for a sense of belonging.

However, none of that compared to the hunger. As I sat, taking in my surroundings, I saw summer happiness—a path of tents and campers filled with families enjoying the outdoors. I watched kids throw water balloons at each other without a care in the world. It was a beautiful sight, but that didn’t satisfy my hunger.

Then, I heard my dad’s voice: “Come here, Hayden!” He was standing over a fire. I was ecstatic when he revealed the frozen hamburgers and Herr’s sour cream and onion chips. He placed the burgers on the stale buns he managed to get after walking for miles, and as I waited for my five younger siblings to get their food, I grinned ear to ear for what felt like the first time in weeks. The burger wasn’t good, but it’s still my favorite meal because, for the first time in a long time, I didn’t go to bed hungry.

After experiencing hunger—the kind that feels like your stomach is consuming itself—I desired a new hunger to drive me. That hunger was hope for a better life. Although there were many more starving days and nights to come, I had hope—hope that things would get better, hope that I’d find a place to stay, hope that I could have a better future.

November 27, 2022 was the day my better future became a reality. It was the day I enrolled at MHS. Since that day, nothing has been able to hold me back. I take full advantage of every opportunity that I can and commit to Raise the Bar every day. Last summer, I interned in the Legal department at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. I am vice president of the National Honor Society. I’m a student ambassador. And I am waiting to hear back from a long list of colleges to become lawyer. This wouldn’t have been possible without MHS and our founders’ Mr. and Mrs. Hershey.

Don’t get me wrong, adapting to MHS was difficult. I cried every night because I was away from my family for the first few months. And I still get homesick sometimes, but I know what I must do. Thanks to the generosity of our founders, I haven’t gone to bed on an empty stomach in almost two years. But I am still hungry. I’m hungry for more. I’m hungry to end the cycle of poverty.

After all, we are our founders’ legacy. We must be hungry to embrace this gift to its fullest. Milton and Catherine Hershey passed the mantle to each one of us. I challenge my peers to be hopeful about their future, commit to Raise the Bar with pride higher and higher every day, and, most importantly, stay hungry to make a change for themselves and take advantage of every opportunity at MHS to make that change happen.