The Alumni Achievement Award Program, developed in 1997, recognizes graduates for unique, specific, or significant accomplishments in business or professional careers, such as the arts, athletics, or sciences, for community service, and for academic excellence. Annually, Milton Hershey School® also recognizes members of the senior class who best mirror the accomplishments of the alumni being honored.

Three Milton Hershey School® alumni were honored as Alumni Achievement Award winners at the Alumni Association’s Alumni-Senior Dinner during the School's Alumni Fellowship Weekend.

Career Achievement: Marcus Paul James '99

James is an actor, singer, and songwriter who currently performs in the off-Broadway production of RENT and recently released a new album. He was last seen in the ensemble of the Tony Award-winning In The Heights. Prior to that, he was a part of the closing cast of the Broadway run of RENT as Mr. Jefferson and others. He is a graduate of Penn State University.

The Senior Class recipient of the award is Tyler Scott, who aspires to become a graphic communication and design specialist and recently completed an internship with Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co.'s creative design department. He plans to attend St. John's University.

Academic Excellence: Anna-Christine Scull '07

Scull graduated from Cornell University in 2011 with a 3.68 grade-point average. She majored in industrial and labor relations, and plans to attend law school. While a student at Cornell, she was a member of the varsity track and field team, served as a mentor to younger athletes, and became involved with the Spiked Shoe Society to perform community service. Scull earned listing on the dean's list every semester, earned All East Honors in track and field, and was a member of the track and field team that earned Conference Championship. She is currently working for a Christian, nonprofit organization, TeachOverseas, teaching conversational English to underprivileged high school and college students in Hungary.

Recipient from the Senior Class is Ashlynn Trimmer, who began taking honors courses as a 10th-grade student and continued through her senior year. She is among the top academic students in her class, is enrolled in multiple Advanced Placement courses, and has earned a numeric grade greater than a 94 percent average during her high school career. This year, she also is enrolled at Lebanon Valley College where she is earning credits in accounting and psychology. Ashlynn plans to continue her education at Bucknell University where she will study accounting and finance.

Community Service: Bill Coskey '79

Most recently, he was the driving force behind the Alumni Association's Cancer Care Committee, which raises money to assist alumni who are battling cancer. The group's major event, the annual Cancer Care 5K Run/Walk, was held during Alumni Fellowship Weekend.

From the Class of 2012, the award was given to Paul Lyons, who has consistently represented MHS throughout his high school career in service to the School and the greater Hershey community. He has volunteered as a Year-Round Experiences camp counselor where he supported, guided, and mentored younger students. He also has served as a junior chapel leader, a member of the National Honor Society, the Student Government Association, and the Hershey Community Youth Alliance. He will attend Lehigh University to major in business and minor in political science.

Milton Hershey School® values the successes of our alumni and welcomes the opportunity to recognize them in an effort to provide role models for our students.

Congratulations to our Alumni Achievement Award recipients for 2012! 

Pictured from left, MHS Alumni Association President Amy (McCloskey) Tobin '86; seniors Tyler Scott
and Ashlynn Trimmer; MHS President Dr. Tony Colistra '59; Christine Scull, accepting
on behalf of Anna Scull '07; senior Paul Lyons; and Bill Coskey '79.