Fourth-Annual Girls Grace Event Inspires Unity

Two hundred female Milton Hershey School high school students attended the school’s fourth-annual Girls Grace Conference on Oct. 18-19. The lock-in style event featured workshops focused on leadership and character building along with featured speakers and activities that began at 7 p.m. Friday evening and lasted through 7 a.m. Saturday morning.

This year’s event was centered on the school’s Sacred Values and The Compass Project with the goal of strengthening youth and staff relationships. During the event, students learned to express themselves in a positive way by integrating family, school, and community and creating a space where they feel a sense of empowerment, belonging, and unity.

“These girls want to invest in themselves, learn leadership skills, and create a sisterhood with each other,” said MHS Student Program Leader and Girls Grace creator Sharice Johnson.

This year’s event boasted the most MHS alumnae participation yet with 30 female graduates returning to campus to lead 13 out of the 16 conference workshops and serve as panelists and featured speakers. Workshop topics included goal setting, finding your purpose, respect and gratitude, self-care, and more.

“We are so grateful for our alumnae’s time, effort, and dedication to their MHS home. Without them this event wouldn’t be as successful,” said Johnson.

Several employees from Hershey Entertainment & Resorts showed their support by presenting a workshop titled “Building My Brand” to educate students on what it means to be true to yourself and how to portray it in a positive way. In addition, 40 MHS female staff members volunteered at the event.

Nine girls from the school’s Elementary Division Student Government Association attended the opening event. They ate dinner and received mentoring from older students. The high school students also created special welcome books for newly enrolled female elementary students filled with words of encouragement as they begin their MHS journey.

Since its first year in 2016, Girls Grace has become a popular event among students as an inspirational experience that helps them learn leadership techniques that support their overall goals. The event has become so popular, registration fills within hours.

“I had so much fun and I feel like I belong to the school more because of it,” shared MHS freshman Nevaeh Heverling. “I will be going next year!”