Milton Hershey School Student Art on Display at HE&R

Milton Hershey School kindergartener Milagros Watts-Mills’ smile stretched from ear to ear on Feb. 27 as she mingled with students and adults in the Hershey Entertainment & Resorts’ (HE&R) executive suite. She proudly discussed her mixed media piece “Polar Bear” with anyone curious about its creation. The 7-year-old and her peers were the stars of a red carpet event celebrating the students’ artistic talents. 

“It feels good,” Watts-Mills said when asked about seeing her art on display. 

HE&R annually displays winners of the MHS Juried Art Show in the Hershey Press Building. The exhibit recognizes the students’ accomplishments and reminds employees of HE&R’s Core Purpose—to help fulfill the dream of its founder, Milton S. Hershey, by providing value to MHS in its mission of helping students lead fulfilling and productive lives—just as Mr. Hershey intended. 

“It’s moments like this that all of make us incredibly proud; not only of the talents, but the efforts that go into the talents that are displayed here today,” MHS President Pete Gurt ’85 said.  

Gurt also expressed appreciation to HE&R for nurturing MHS students’ gifts and talents. 

Seventh grader Chukwudifu Okechukwu used his artistic talents to connect his hometown of New York City to Hershey, Pa. His watercolor, “Bridge,” shows a bridge he travels frequently when traversing between New York City’s boroughs. 

“It’s a piece of home,” Okechukwu said. “It took me a long time to get this right, especially the bridge’s lines.” 

Takuma Sugita, a member of the Class of 2025, also took a personal approach with his scratchboard piece, “Boxer.” The black-and-white work shows Sugita giving his beloved dog a giant hug. 

“It was a very tedious process and required a lot of patience,” Sugita said. “Art is very therapeutic and is a great way to start the day.” 

The HE&R Art Show is one of many ways Hershey Community Partners actively engage with Milton Hershey School students. Leaders of entity companies also encourage their staff to connect through professional mentorships, internships, leadership programs, and Project Fellowship.