Sophia Fucci ’17
In elementary school, Sophia Fucci wanted to play soccer and participate in extracurricular activities. But, her family did not have the means to support her activities in McKinney, Texas. At the age of 11, Sophia and her family learned about Milton Hershey School and the many opportunities the school provides for its students to play sports, explore career paths, and attend college debt free thanks to a generous MHS-funded scholarship offered to all students.
“Every part of the whole child care we receive as students at MHS is important to having a healthy and quality life,” Sophia said. “Being at MHS taught me the value of health care and the impact it can have on your life.”
The MHS Career and Technical Education (CTE) program helped Sophia learn about her passion for helping people sustain a healthy lifestyle. Through the Agriculture and National Resources career pathway, she was able to grow her skills and learn the value of hard work, all while earning multiple certifications she could use for college credits.
During her senior year at MHS, Sophia participated in the Transitional Living (TL) experience where she lived in an apartment with four other female seniors. She and her roommates learned how to shop for food, cook, and be timely with paying bills. All MHS seniors also learn how to save money and create a budget—which helps prepare them for life after graduation.
Sophia graduated from Milton Hershey School with the Class of 2017. Four years later—in the spring of 2021—she graduated from Temple University with an undergraduate degree in public health.
“I walked across the stage knowing that I was debt free because of MHS and the opportunities it provided me as a student,” Sophia said. “My Continuing Education Scholarship (CES) paid for every college expense I had and is the most important part of me reaching my end goal of earning a bachelor’s degree.”
Sophia now hopes to find a job in the nonprofit sector and work within health education. The teachers at MHS impacted her desire and passion to want to be a teacher and mentor others.
Looking back, Sophia says that the Milton Hershey School community was a valuable support system for her while she was far away from her family in Texas.