Dreams Realized: Emily’s Story
When Catherine Hershey School for Early Learning, Middletown, opened in August 2025 as the third CHS Center in Dauphin County — expanding service to 450 children across the region — it welcomed families eager for opportunity, connection, and growth.
For the Mixell family, it didn’t take long to realize CHS would become more than an Early Childhood Education Center; it would become a foundation for growth for the entire family.
A leap of faith
Before enrolling her son, Emily Mixell was unsure whether she was ready to send him to preschool.
“I applied to CHS, but I was not 100 percent sure because I loved being at home with him,” Emily said. “I figured I would just apply and see what happened.”
After going through the application and interview process, her son was accepted, beginning a journey that quickly exceeded her expectations.
“I had only planned to send him from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, but he loves it so much that he started coming at 8:15 a.m., and I now pick him up at 4 p.m.,” she said. “After I finish work and before I pick him up, I’m able to get more things accomplished for myself and my family.”
What began as uncertainty soon became confidence as she watched her son thrive in his new environment.
Growth beyond the classroom
Her hopes for her son were centered on continued growth and new learning experiences beyond what she she was able to provide at home alone.
“I wanted him to gain more skills,” Emily said. “I felt like I did a lot at home to prepare him for school and that he needed that next level to be with other kids and learn.”
Since enrolling at CHS Middletown, Emily has seen meaningful changes in her son’s development, particularly in areas that extend beyond academics.
“I already thought he was smart, but I feel like I am now seeing him excel in emotional intelligence,” she said. “He also seems more confident in himself and happier.”
The experience has brought a strong sense of belonging to her family through relationships with staff and other families.
“I wish I could have enrolled sooner,” she said. “It’s been wonderful, and everyone I have met from CHS, including other parents and employees, has become some of the people I’m most excited to see during the day.”
Out of reach to reality
Emily initially learned about CHS through a friend connected to CHS Hershey while discussing her desire to return to daytime work.
“I heard about CHS from a friend,” Emily said. “I was talking to her about wanting to be able to work during the day, and she told me about what CHS could offer.”
The CHS approach includes a collaborative family success program designed to help families turn aspirations into achievable goals.
Through this two-generational model, children benefit from high-quality early learning, while parents and caregivers receive individualized support, guidance, and access to resources that strengthen the entire family. Each enrolled family works alongside a dedicated Family Success Advocate (FSA), building a partnership centered on goal-setting and long-term success.
A key part of her family’s experience has been working with her FSA, Kris Karr, whose support has extended beyond traditional guidance.
“Kris is one of my favorite people,” she said. “I feel almost like I have a built-in best friend who also helps me be a better person for myself and my kids.”
Through that partnership and the stability CHS helps nurture, she was able to pursue an important personal goal: securing consistent employment that works for her family’s schedule.
“I was working on-and-off jobs to make it work with school pick-up and sports,” said Emily, who now works full time in the Lower Dauphin School District. “With CHS, I found a wonderful job that works with the hours I need.”
Stories like the Mixells’ reflect the broader impact CHS strives to create every day by nurturing children while empowering families to build safe, strong, and financially stable homes.
By combining high-quality early childhood education with intentional family support, CHS helps families build strong foundations that benefit both children and them long into the future.
For the Mixells, what began as hesitation has become a source of confidence and connection. It’s a great example showing that when children and families are supported together, dreams and goals once thought out of reach can become reality.
Dreams Realized series: As the 2025-26 CHS school-year theme “One Team, One Dream” was launched in August, stories will be shared throughout the year showcasing members of the CHS community following—and realizing—their dreams. Vol. 1: Dil’s Story, Vol. 2: Lily’s Story, Vol. 3: Luna’s Story, Vol. 4: Xavier’s Story, Vol. 5: Hilary’s Story, Vol. 6: Kayla’s Story, Vol. 7: Natalie’s Story, Vol. 8: Emily’s Story.
