Milton Hershey School Student Honored with American Heart Association Award for Saving a Life

Milton Hershey School (MHS) high school student Randy Gibson recently was awarded with the Heartsaver Hero Award from the American Heart Association (AHA) for his efforts in saving the life of another person.
Randy is honored for springing into action and performing cardiac resuscitation until medical personnel arrived when MHS Houseparent Jim Smith suffered a heart attack while running on the Milton Hershey School campus. Randy learned CPR with AED training in his 10th-grade health class. The class teaches students the necessary skills to assist in performing life-saving measures.

“I was just really calm and did what I remembered from class. It was all very surreal because I couldn’t believe I had done something like that. I just never imagined I would save someone’s life,” Randy said.

Each MHS student is given the opportunity to become certified in CPR in 10th-grade. Thanks to the school’s commitment to providing students with necessary life skills and Randy’s quick actions, Smith’s life was saved.

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.