My Milton Hershey School Houseparents Made Such an Impact

By Bill Hunking ’74, MHS Campus Safety Systems Coordinator

I enrolled at Milton Hershey School on April 15, 1963. I enrolled at Kinderhaus. It wasn’t long before I started to call my houseparents “mom and pop.” They taught us the difference between right and wrong. They set that moral compass for us, and I lean on that each and every day.

Everybody needs a father. Everybody needs a mother. In my personal family situation, I didn’t have the best role models. And so that was a big role my houseparents played. They made such an impact that when I got married, they were my parents at the wedding. And then when my son got married, they were the grandparents at his wedding.

The traits of houseparents at MHS are consistency and being fair and understanding. The best thing you can do is treat a child or a student fairly, and they will respect you. I think that was the biggest thing I got from my houseparents. I had several houseparents during my time as a student, and they were all great. I cherished my time here. I often say, “I came in first grade and I’m still here today.” It’s been a long time, and it’s been a blessing.

Learn More About the Important Role of Houseparenting at MHS