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

  • Rowan University, HPE Partner on New Learning Initiative

    Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., recently announced that it has expanded its partnership with enterprise technology provider HPE to improve research capabilities and hands-on learning opportunities, according to a news release.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • UNH Marks Construction Milestone on Oceanic Exploration Facility

    The University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., recently celebrated a major construction milestone with a beam-signing ceremony for the new Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping, according to a news release. The facility’s ultimate goal is to support research, training and technical assistance in ocean mapping.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.