MHS Class of 2026 Begins Commencement Week with Senior Chapel and Ring Ceremony

The Milton Hershey School Class of 2026 kicked off Commencement Week on Sunday, June 7, with the Senior Chapel and Ring Ceremony. The soon-to-be graduates were encouraged to apply the lessons of the School Pledge throughout their lives and presented with a tangible reminder of their unity and connection to the Hershey Legacy.

Senior Timothy Geynovich opened the service by reflecting on how God used MHS to shape his future and his heart.

“Every student who walks onto this campus arrives carrying something.  Some carry uncertainty.  Some carry hardships. Some carry fear,” Geynovich said during his remarks. “Whatever our burden was, we all faced obstacles that tested us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Those challenges could have defined us. Instead, they refined us.”

Geynovich reflected on how God’s plan often requires people to surrender things they want for themselves. While that can be difficult, others’ sacrifices are what made his MHS journey possible.

He credited his mother, who sacrificed his presence at home and her being there for many special moments. He also recognized Milton and Catherine Hershey, whose generous gift of a home and school has transformed the lives of more than 12,000 graduates in 117 years.

“Their sacrifices taught me that love is often measured by what we are willing to give away for someone else’s future,” he said.

This fall, Geynovich will begin his journey to serving others by pursuing a nursing degree at Lebanon Valley College.

During his remarks, MHS President Pete Gurt ’85 reflected on how the words of the MHS School Pledge are not only rooted in the school’s Deed of Trust but also in God’s word. He emphasized this by connecting each line of our School Pledge to Bible verses and encouraged students to follow the Pledge and Biblical teachings as they progress through adulthood.

“The alignment between our School Pledge and the Bible is not a coincidence,” Gurt said. “It was purposeful. It was strategic by our founders.”

In August 2025, during Senior Only Chapel, Gurt asked the students to write a letter to themselves outlining their goals, hopes, and expectations for their last year at MHS. Those letters were returned to the students during chapel, where they were given time to review them and reflect.

“Whether you exceeded, met, fell short, or changed the vision that you had for yourself this year, I hope this causes you to reflect on where this year started and where it now ended,” Gurt said.

Before she and her peers received their Class Rings, Senior Mikyala Eslinger reflected on her own emotions. Mikyala is an MHS Lifer, a special recognition given to graduates who enroll in pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade.

“More than anything, though, I feel grateful. Grateful for the people who helped me become the person standing here today,” Eslinger said.

Who you are is what people will remember, Eslinger said. She stressed the importance of treating people well and living with integrity.

“This class ring is a symbol of exactly that,” she said. “The challenge before us now is to live our lives worthy of what this ring signifies. To continue living the values we’ve learned here. To move beyond reciting Our Pledge and actually live it.”

Students approached the stage and received their rings in descending order of their enrollment date. This year, 32 students have the distinction of being Lifers.

Pastor Will Ogle closed the service by reminding the Class of 2026 that MHS has given them everything they need to succeed in the world. It is now up to them to build on that foundation and succeed.

“It will be tested when those storms come. It will reveal what your foundation really is,” Ogle said. “But please know, God is always at work, in and around you.”

The 2026 MHS Commencement will be held Sunday, June 14 at GIANT Center.

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