Tag Archives: Milton Hershey School

It was a lovely weekend to just be lazy. But I did have some minor homework to consider like memorizing a monologue, but I simply was in the mood to soak up inspiration rather than make any moves.

I watched a good portion of Netflix to pass the time. Films included: From Prada to Nada (2011), Waiting Forever (2010), Helvetica (2007), The Answer Man (2009), A Month by the Lake (1995), and Making the Boys (2009).

Poster design by Greenlight Creative

Making the Boys was probably the most heartfelt film that I watched this past weekend because it talks about a perspective of gay culture that I have been expressing for a while. Today’s gay children do not take much gratitude in the events that lead to today’s freedom of expression. For example, The Stonewall Riots in 1969 and the influence of The Boys in the Band. It’s sad that not enough people seem to show interest in the liberation movement. Those that do, I respect. As a result of the film it sparked an inclination to revive an interest in supporting the movement. How can I help with the solidarity? Well, I am writing this blog post to start.

The understanding of play-writing and the little history recap of the gay rights movement did motivate me to contemplate on what I should be doing to progress as America’s Future Talk Show Host. Ellen DeGeneres has been an inspiration to plant the seed in my mind, but the ground is so tough to plow that I am having an arduous workout trying to get my name out there, impressing people to rely on my abilities, and learning the ropes of journalism and media as a whole.

I have come to a conclusion that trying to understand how media and social media works today is good, but I cannot strive on that alone. I need real world insight. How do I do this? Well it first comes to writing down my affirmations and goals for this career.

Being realistic with oneself is a task in itself, but is absolutely needed. Especially with a career goal that I have. “Being famous” may come across as the ultimate goal of my dream, but I am telling you that it is so much more for me. I want to achieve this dream for my family. I just use fame as an umbrella term to capture the energy of my dream. I grew up poor and I’d like to step far away from that because I know I can. I have the freedom to do so, but for those who cannot, I’d like to use my resources to help them. As well as aspire to be a walking representative of the low-income families that did not meet the karmic levels to proceed with their hopes and dreams.

Philanthropy is something I learned by attending the Milton Hershey School.

Another theme in my aspiration is to teach. I always admired teachers and their ways to communicate ideas and opinions so fluidly. Those are the people that should be the ones idolized. They are indeed the wise folk in the tribes, yet have fallen short in the modern society. Their competitors are the media and celebrities. It would be nice to be able to offer knowledge and teach people values.

In all of this, I guess I have soaked up different concrete things that I would like to accomplish during my life. A bucket list if you will for this future talk show host.

Write a book
Talk to already established hosts and shows
Act in movies/commercials
Speak at schools
Guest appearances
Community Service: Paint a building wall
Host award shows
Continue blog writing
Invest in the Illuminati (haha)
YouTube Show

These all are bricks completing my castle in the air.

So I have currently used social media to spread the word about my quest and am sitting until someone can show enough belief in me to help me out. Allies are probably the most important tool to have in your dream satchel. They are people who can share compassion and strength for you and your visions. Picking these people wisely and nurturing the seeds that you both plant for each other is essential to success.

I made this photo to resemble the changes that are coming with each new spring.

I have marvelous mentors in my life to help guide me in the direction of my dream. But I will be graduating very soon. Potentially next semester, so I am starting to feel the pressure of needing a job lined up upon graduation. I feel like my work ethic and devotion to my dream should surely prove my competence for any establishment but I cannot simply rely on that alone.

If my allies could seek out ways they can help me would be helpful and appreciated. I am not someone to come out face-to-face to talk about these concerns, because I am humble and respectful. I don’t want to come across as taking advantage of my elders. I will let divine timing take its course and let my allies know that I am seeking out assistance and wisdom from them with this post . I am certainly not going to let anyone’s help slip away unnoticed.

I just want to encourage you and others to have a little faith in people.

My Netflix viewing was much more than filling my time with entertainment this past weekend. It allowed me to strengthen my insight on my life and decide what I can do to make my dream a step closer to completed.

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Categories Blog, Blogging, Careers, Entertainment, News

It has been 6 years, now what

9 Jan

To begin, I would like to thank all the awesome folks who entered in the Aqua Aura Mini Bullet Necklace giveaway in the past week and to also remind you all to share the giveaway with your friends and family on Twitter or Facebook. You can even post it on your Tumblr, there is a button for that too. The giveaway ends January 16, 2012.

There will be a new giveaway coming on January 19th so look out for that! You’ll have a ball with it [hint]!!

It has been 6 years, now what

You might be asking yourself, what has been 6 years? On January 9, 2006 I made my first step as an official student of Milton Hershey School. This adventure led me to find myself and my dream of becoming America’s Future Talk Show Host. It was wild and today would not have been possible without entering that landscape of bittersweet chocolate.

Milton Hershey School is a boarding school established in 1909 by Milton and Catherine Hershey. Originally it was for orphan boys and over the years the school has made significant updates to allowing blacks and women to enroll. The major motivation for having the school was in the eyes of Catherine. She wanted to have children so bad, yet her health would not allow her, so her beloved husband, Milton helped make her dream into a reality. Now over a hundred years later the school still stands and the Hershey legacy continues to inspire people and children.

On January 9, 2006, I enrolled into this school with the sole purpose of redefining my life. I was beat and broken from before, but going on this new adventure, I was bound to the seas of growth . This school can help plant seeds for your adult years and I discovered the confidence to go after this dream of becoming a television talk show host.

Many struggles occurred in the first year while I was there and merely adjusting to the rules and consequences tested my Aries personality. I remember running out of my English class because I felt threatened and belittled by the teacher and students. I went to summer school because I did not apply my academic behavior fully. The frustration in understanding my sexual orientation was teetering as I tried to understand what it meant to be in love. Yet, through all of this the adults there were able to withstand my outbursts of rebellion, assign me consequences and move on. No grudges seemed to form, and I cherish that most of all. We simply learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward.

Above all the pains of being at the school, I learned to grow independently and look forward to working with the school on Alumni projects and maybe an internship in the coming months. All I can do now is write this post in remembrance of when I was given a new chance. And every year it is good to celebrate the things that gave you renewal and rebirth. That is the lesson to be learned here because sometimes we can over look our firsts especially if it was going to a private school. But this is a new year and a new you so I invite you to remember your firsts today as I celebrate my 6 year anniversary of making it to the sweetest place on earth!

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Categories Blog, Blogging, Careers, Culture, Family, Milton Hershey School, New Year, News

Pennsylvania private school releases statement on denying enrollment for HIV positive child

1 Dec

On Facebook today Milton Hershey School released a status indicating why they denied an HIV positive child to enroll in the school.

The decision to deny enrollment was a challenging one for us to make. Like all our enrollment decisions, we need to balance our desire to serve the needs of an individual child seeking admission with our obligation to protect the health and safety of all 1,850 children already in our care.

This is indeed causing a stir in the community as some comments suggest that it is a mere toss up between the communal safety for the residential school and ignorance to how far medicine has come to regulating the disease. In their status MHS does confirm that they have filed a federal review for their decision.

Today is World AIDS Day and to commemorate people with AIDS and HIV, I feel sympathy for the child that is being denied access to a wonderful education and a great chance to become something in this world due to the fear of possible community infection.

According to WorldAIDSDay.org, “Over 90% of people with HIV were infected through sexual contact…HIV is not passed on through spitting, biting or sharing utensils.” OK, so we all can agree that SEX and BLOOD are the two HIGH contributors to spreading this disease. Well, how likely is this kid going to be having sex or sharing blood? Well in Milton Hershey School’s status, the school goes on to commment that

In order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others. The reason is simple. We are serving children, and no child can be assumed to always make responsible decisions which protect the well being of others.

The key phrase to point out is that “no child can be assumed to always make responsible decisions which protect the well being of others.” What a very brash and bold statement to make. Clearly, they are anticipating, in my opinion, that this child who is infected with HIV is going to (based on the facts) to have contact with others sexually or by blood.

In this year 2011, we are aware of AIDS and HIV. We understand that this is a mature topic and it should not be handled lightly. However, I do disagree with the school’s decision to deny enrollment when clearly measures can be taken to ensure safety. No working in the kitchen or in the yard. If a paper cut happens do not touch the child with bare hands. Simple. Then we have the sex factor.

Now, by the magic of online media, I found a CNN article by Michael Martinez and Chuck Johnston that reports that the child is a 13-year-old boy and the case mimics another similar case in 1990.

Executive director Ronda B. Goldfein of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, which is representing the boy and his mother, likened the case to Ryan White, who died at age 18 in 1990 and had been expelled from middle school when his HIV diagnosis became widely known.

“Like Ryan White, this young man is a motivated, intelligent kid who poses no health risk to other students, but is being denied an educational opportunity because of ignorance and fear about HIV and AIDS,” said Goldfein, an attorney for the boy and mother.

The boy is 13-years-old and he wants to receive the best possible education he can get. I am pretty sure and my intuition tells me that he is not going to be having sex and will not be swapping blood anytime soon. Because he knows it will ultimately kill people when not treated properly. Milton Hershey School does deny the similarity with the Ryan White case in their statement

Attorneys for this young man and his mother have suggested that this case is comparable to the Ryan White case. But this case is actually nothing like the Ryan White case. Milton Hershey School is not a day school, where students go home to their family at the end of the day. Instead, this is a unique home-like environment, a pre-K -12 residential school where children live in homes with 10-12 other students on our campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The cases maybe different on the surface with age and names, however both students are being denied an education. Education is a fundamental promise that being a citizen of this country we are to have. So this decision is saddening and I send positive energy to the boy and his family during this stressful time.

I know I wouldn’t want to be discriminated against for a medical condition. And this statement from my high school is really embarrassing. With all the resources they have wouldn’t special accommodations be made. Enrolled students have passed away due to cancer and other means, I wonder what they would think with this decision.

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