Milton Hershey School Lifers Honored at Special Event Ahead of Commencement 

On Monday, June 2, Milton Hershey School students in the Class of 2025 who had enrolled in pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade, gathered to celebrate their journey. We call this group of students’ lifers. They celebrated this momentous occasion exactly 12 days before their graduation, to honor the 12 or more years they have committed to Milton Hershey School. 

President Pete Gurt ’85 welcomed guests and encouraged representatives of the Class of 2025 to persevere and lean on each other in whatever steps come next for them. Reflecting on the deep roots many students develop, President Gurt discussed the dedication it takes to remain at the school for so many years.  

“You have all of life’s advantages as a group, but the rest lies with you really, as the students who have benefited from this experience,” said President Gurt.  

The lifer celebration began two years ago when lifer Beautifull Pyatt ’23 interned with the MHS President’s Office. She wanted to honor her fellow lifers and the mentors who supported them throughout their many years at the school. President Gurt, a lifer himself, brought her idea to life, and the event has continued annually. 

Lifers invited four guests who had a significant impact on them. Many honorees invited houseparents, friends, mentors, or internship supervisors to thank them for their guidance as they navigated elementary, middle, and high school. Students and their guests socialized and heard from student speakers.  

Simone Hardy, who enrolled in 2013, reflected on the impact of spending such a significant amount of time in her life at MHS.  

“Many of us started our MHS experience in elementary school,” said Hardy. “Being so young, it was difficult to be separated from our families and all that we knew, but we made so many memories to carry us through the toughest moments.”  

All of our students have individual enrollment dates, and unique memories from their time spent here. For lifers, it is a bit different. Despite their individual differences, they all share this special connection. Lifer Iris Pratt enrolled at MHS in 2014 and is now preparing to leave the place she has called home for 12 years.  

“For most people, MHS is just a chapter in their life, but for us lifers, it’s a chapter that changed and consumed most of our life,” said Pratt.  

The evening served as a meaningful lead-up to the school’s 91st Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 15, at GIANT Center where the lifers, and their peers in the Class of 2025, will join the 12,000 alumni of MHS. 

Read Stories from MHS LifersLearn More about the MHS Class of 2025