In Pursuit of Spartan Fame: 2026 MHS Founders Day Assembly

Each year, the Milton Hershey School community gathers for the Founders Day Assembly to honor Milton and Catherine Hershey’s legacy and commemorate the signing of the Deed of Trust that made their life-changing vision possible 117 years ago.

Yet this year, that legacy felt especially tangible.

Upon entering the Founders Hall Auditorium, attendees were welcomed by moving spotlights and songs from the 2026 Opening of School Assembly playlist. The atmosphere instantly reignited the excitement and optimism that filled the start of the school year, bringing the MHS community back to the moment they committed to pursuing the school year theme, Spartan Fame, together.

“An heir is someone who inherits something of value,” MHS President Peter G. Gurt ’85 shared. “But being a living heir means accepting the responsibility that comes from what you’ve inherited.”

Through two powerful performances, Visual & Performing Arts group New Horizons gave voice to that commitment, delivering moving musical selections led by talented ensemble members and soloists.

Prior to the assembly, students were invited to participate in an essay contest responding to the prompt, “What does Spartan Fame mean to you, and how are you demonstrating Spartan Fame in your life at MHS?” At the event, the winning essays from Elementary, Middle, and Senior Divisions were shared with the community.

Papa Mensah, an MHS fourth grader, spoke about being a positive influence on the younger students who will follow in his footsteps. Despite the challenges that came with being new to MHS, he said he chose to pursue Spartan Fame and strive to be the best version of himself. He also shared about the impact of losing his father and how the strength and character he developed through that experience now inspire him to lead by example.

“You have to face your fears in life. When you do, you can learn new and different outcomes than if you stay scared,” Mensah expressed.

Eighth grader Nygeriah Hall opened her remarks with the powerful reminder, “To whom much is given, much is required,” challenging the audience to consider what they want to be known for and whether their actions reflect that aspiration. She credited her mother’s strength and perseverance as the example that inspires her most, sharing that no one has embodied Spartan Fame more fully in her life. Her mother is why she commits to becoming the best version of herself.

“When we focus on what truly matters, Spartan Fame no longer becomes competition,” Hall said. “It’s where all of us come together as a family. To hold each other to a higher standard and to reflect on what we truly want to be known for.”

When the transition from middle school to high school posed difficulties, Christopher Smith, Class of 2027, chose not to let those things hinder him from excelling. Through involvement in school clubs, activities, and building meaningful relationships across campus, he learned that Spartan Fame takes all of us. In the process, what once felt like uncertainty transformed into greater courage and conviction in the values that he holds.

“We cannot compromise our vision for something shortsighted,” Smith said. “That’s not what legacy is. A legacy is composed of our daily choices, compounded day after day, month after month, year after year.”

In his keynote address, President and CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, John Lawn, reaffirmed to students that Milton Hershey’s legacy was neither a solo effort nor an overnight success. Despite experiencing failure numerous times, Mr. Hershey never forgot those who believed in him and helped him along the way. Lawn noted that the opportunities Mr. Hershey later created were his way of paying that support forward. Encouraging students to do the same, he emphasized that making an impact does not begin someday in the future. It begins today, through the choices they make and the ways they invest in others.

Lawn also shared that the opportunities students enjoy today are the result of generations of people working together toward a common goal, a principle he described as the heart of One Hershey.

“One Hershey means to me the organizations that carry Milton’s name can do more together than any of us can do alone,” Lawn said. “We each clearly have different jobs, but we share that one purpose that President Gurt talked about. When we all pull in the same direction, the people who benefit most are you sitting in this room.”

As President Gurt closed the event, he returned to the distinctions he introduced during the Opening of School Assembly between worldly fame and Spartan Fame, sharing that those contrasts will serve as the foundation for a new yearlong initiative designed to put Spartan Fame into action each month.

“Let’s be reminded that each of us has been given an extraordinary opportunity because of the Hershey name,” President Gurt said. “What matters is what we do with this privilege and the responsibility we’ve inherited.”

The Founders Day Assembly marked a week of activities honoring Milton and Catherine Hershey and the vision that made MHS possible. As their story will soon reach new audiences in theaters this November, students were challenged to remember that they are not just part of the Hersheys’ legacy. They are the reason it exists.