Maya Quarles ’10

As a seventh-grader, Maya Quarles ’10 began her education at Milton Hershey School after her family moved to Hershey, Pennsylvania from Florida.

“When I was in elementary school in Florida, my mom was working in an after-school program. She saw how bad the middle school would be, and she didn’t want to put me in that environment,” Maya said.

Maya (right) gave a care package to an MHS alumnus at Temple University.

After moving to Pennsylvania and spending six years of her life at MHS, Maya fondly refers to Hershey as her hometown. During her time at the school, she found her independence and learned how to balance multiple responsibilities—including field hockey, tennis, track and field, Girl Scouts, and a part-time job.

“MHS taught me about multi-tasking and time management. I learned how to juggle so many things at once,” she said. “Once I graduated, I felt like I could do it all.”

Through the school’s Career and Technical Education program, Maya also took multiple business classes and gained knowledge that would prepare her for college.

“Business ended up being my college major. Because of little things I knew from the classes at MHS, it wasn’t as difficult when I got to college—I had some background knowledge,” Maya said.

After graduating from MHS in 2010, Maya started her college career at Clarion University, but after two years, she transferred to Delaware County Community College and received her associate’s degree. In September of 2017, Maya continued her education even further and received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Temple University. With an entrepreneurial spirit and a wide range of experiences, Maya hopes to eventually create her own business.

Maya (right) pictured with MHS alumni at Temple University who received her care packages.

“I would love to run my own business and take care of my employees the way they should be treated,” she said. “I look at it as a chance to help others accomplish their dreams.”

Maya’s passion for helping others also has led her back to MHS. In the fall of 2017, she decided to create care packages for MHS alumni who are studying at Temple University.

“I remember how hard it was in college, so if I can help MHS graduates with their basic necessities, they’ll be more focused on studying,” she said.

After delivering the care packages and interacting with MHS alumni, Maya was reminded of her MHS family—and how those bonds can last a lifetime.

“We talked about MHS and their new beginnings at Temple. We’re brothers and sisters for life, so it was an instant connection,” she said.