Quadriyyah Abdul-Aziz ’15
When new middle schoolers make their way across the Milton Hershey School campus for the first time, Quadriyyah is immediately drawn to them. They radiate an all too familiar sense of hope and anxiousness that transports her back to Oct. 22, 2007, the day she enrolled at MHS. She was once that 10-year-old new middle schooler unaware of what the future held as she entered fifth grade. But looking back, she couldn’t have dreamt of what MHS would come to mean to her.
“MHS taught me how to be a kid again,” Quadriyyah said. “I am successful today because MHS gave me so much.”
Quadriyyah was raised by a single mom who worked long and strenuous hours as a nurse to provide for Quadriyyah and her five siblings. Her mom’s absence from early mornings and late nights forced Quadriyyah to assume additional responsibilities involving caring for herself and her younger sister. This daily rhythm was not sustainable, and although the prospect of MHS appeared to be a great solution when presented, Quadriyyah’s mother was not initially sold.
“Back then, there was a stigma surrounding people who sent their kids away,” Quadriyyah said. “My mom made one of the hardest and most selfless decisions to send me and my siblings here.”
During her time at MHS, Quadriyyah developed a deep love for the school. Her houseparents and other faculty made a significant impact on her young life and continue to even to this day. They taught her skills she couldn’t imagine her life without, and she is grateful for all the ways they invested in her. They are a major reason why she returned to MHS after graduating from Elizabethtown College.
“People sometimes see in us what we can’t see in ourselves,” Quadriyyah said. “I was surrounded by people who saw something in me that would benefit current students.”
Quadriyyah repeatedly ignored the nudges from her MHS community to become a Transitional Living Assistant (TLA) because she believed she didn’t yet have a success story worthy of returning to MHS. At the time, she was just about to graduate college and she thought she needed to accomplish more after graduation in order to come back with something to give. However, she soon realized that being an MHS graduate is the success story she once thought she needed to create. Now, she is helping students shape their understanding of success and preparing them for life beyond MHS.
“I want to be the person I needed when I was younger,” Quadriyyah said.
As a TLA, Quadriyyah helps students spread their wings and navigate their next steps. She provides them with college essay assistance and teaches them how to live independently. When she’s not in her office, Quadriyyah cheers her students on at their sporting events and extracurricular activities. Her presence serves as a reminder that support is always available, no matter where life leads them.
“Being a mentor to these students during this crucial stage of their life is so rewarding,” Quadriyyah said.
Her work to facilitate healthy relationships with parents/sponsors is another way TLAs set their students up for success in every aspect of their life. Alumni who step into these roles share a unique bond with their students and Quadriyyah is grateful she can help so many students write the first page of their own success story because of it.