ESU Backup Insider

Photo Caption: from left to right: ESU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Joanne Bruno, J.D.; ESU President, Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D.; Vice President of Graduate Programs for Success Milton Hershey School, Tanya Barton; and Higher Education Transition Support Specialist Milton Hershey School, Marina Garner signed a Memorandum of Understanding for ESU and MHS.

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) announces today a formal partnership/agreement with Milton Hershey School (MHS) to provide focused and sustained support to low-income, first generation college students from the school.

“The main objective of this partnership is to assure MHS students that ESU will give them the tools and structured support needed to succeed in college and beyond,” said Cornelia Sewell-Allen, dean of student life at ESU. “We will welcome MHS graduates to an early start program that will help them ease into college life. The students will also get academic coaching to help set solid study patterns in this new, less-structured, life style,” she said.

MHS provides high quality K-12 education to disadvantage youth. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will provide opportunities for the leadership, faculty, and staff of both MHS and ESU to improve the persistence and graduation rates for low-income, first- generation college students.

Vice President of Graduate Programs for Success at Milton Hershey School, Tanya Barton, says the MOU signifies an additional layer of support MHS students can count on to receive the resources they need to pursue and reach their goals. “Our partnership with East Stroudsburg University demonstrates both our institutions’ commitment and dedication to providing more access and support to lower income, first-generation college students,” Barton said. “We are pleased to be working with institutions like ESU that see the value in offering targeted support to first-generation college students.”

Associate Provost Jeffrey A. Weber, Ph.D. personally understands the impact MHS can have on a student’s success. Dr. Weber’s father graduated from MHS. “When he was seven, his father died, and his mother could not afford to raise him instead of being sent to an orphanage, he was sent to the Hershey Industrial School, which is now Milton Hershey School,” Dr. Weber said. Weber’s father graduated from MHS in 1941, one year later he was fighting in World War II. After the war he went to Hahnemann University and became a medical doctor and practiced medicine in Monroe County where he developed an attachment to ESU. Later he served as a medical missionary in Zaire, from 1986 to 1991. He then was honored as MHS Alumni of the Year. After he retired, in his 70s he decided to go back to school,” Weber said. “He earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in history at ESU,” Weber said. “Milton Hershey School helped my father become a servant-leader and a lifelong learner.”

The partnership between MHS and ESU will continue the tradition of giving first-generation college students the tools they need to become leaders.

For more information about the partnership contact Sewell-Allen at 570-422-3789 or email csewell@esu.edu.