Dreams Realized: Lily’s Story
When Lily Montgomery-Trunick, a Family Success Advocate at CHS Hershey, received a large envelope in the mail from Arizona to her Pennsylvania home on September 13, she knew it wasn’t an ordinary piece of mail.
Inside the envelope was her master’s degree diploma from Arizona State University, a symbol of a dream realized.
“When I got it in the mail, that was probably the first moment of real, tangible excitement,” said Montgomery-Trunick, the first CHS employee to earn a degree through our tuition reimbursement program. “I think some part of me always knew I wanted to go back to school. I consider myself a lifelong learner.”
Making an Extraordinary Impact
Montgomery-Trunick graduated from Messiah University in 2022, majoring in human development and family science, and minoring in child & youth services and psychology. Her interest in working with children and families began long before college.
“Even as a teenager, I was drawn to roles where I could help and connect with people,” she said. “I think that’s why I gravitated toward human development: I wanted to better understand what makes people feel supported and successful.”
She began her professional career as a Behavioral Health Technician before learning about Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning.
“I applied for five positions just wanting to somehow get my foot in the door,” she said. “Four of them were teaching roles and one was Family Success Advocate (FSA).”
Montgomery-Trunick was hired as an Assistant Teacher, subsequently taking part in the fully paid, nearly year-long professional development program that CHS provides before a Center opens. She was a part of the initial team when CHS Hershey opened in 2023.
Montgomery-Trunick loved working directly with children, but kept thinking about how her skills could be utilized in helping the whole family. After a year in the classroom, she moved to the Family Success Team, landing a role as a FSA.
“It’s honestly amazing, because of the resources we provide,” Montgomery-Trunick said. “But my favorite thing is that you become a part of these families, truly.
“They will tell you the things they’re excited about…you just really have a connection with them. It’s really special to be let into someone’s home and someone’s world in the way that they let us in.”
As an FSA, Montgomery-Trunick partners with families to set goals, connect them to resources, and provide ongoing support. That includes everything from helping with enrollment to visiting families at home, listening to their needs, and working alongside them to create plans that help them and their children thrive.
Recently, she has assisted a family in purchasing a home, a caregiver in passing her board examinations for respiratory therapy, and another caregiver in securing a full-time job in healthcare.
Pursuing a Dream
Three months after she began working as an FSA, Montgomery-Trunick simultaneously began chasing her next dream of obtaining a Master of Science degree in Family and Human Development.
“When you’re studying humans and relationships and families, I found that the more I study and learn, the less that I know—in the best way,” she said. “It helped me to enter every new situation with a blank slate, to just be curious about everyone.”
CHS offers the tuition reimbursement benefit to active employees after their one-year anniversary, encouraging career and professional growth. In August 2025, Montgomery-Trunick officially graduated – with distinction – with her master’s degree.
One Team, One Dream
Montgomery-Trunick said the team at CHS was extremely supportive of her chasing her dream, especially on the days when she might’ve had to stay up later than usual to finish homework or a project.
Still, the long days haven’t deterred her from the idea of continuing her education even further and growing at CHS.
“I would love to get my doctorate and ultimately grow at CHS,” Montgomery-Trunick said.
At CHS, our goal is to create a supportive environment that sets our team up for success at work and in their personal life. Lily is a great example of what we support and encourage: career and personal growth through a robust benefits package that includes educational support and professional development.
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.
