Everyone describes her as the epitome of kindness and caring.

Miriam Collins, has been a teacher at Hershey High School since 1994. She has taught a few history subjects over the years, but now teaches 9th grade Civics and German. She also is involved in both the Random Acts of Kindness Club (RAKC) and the Hershey Intervention Program. Besides this, she is the leader of the German club.

Collins has many strengths but the ones most commented on are her kindness and enduring patience. She is always helping everyone. Richard Bittinger, a 12th grade English teacher said that “Wherever there’s a need, she’s there.”

Anytime someone has had a family member pass away or is experiencing some other crisis, Collins is always the first to help. She often organizes collections for the person. If a teacher or school administrator is out for an extended period of time, Collins will get the other teachers together to ensure that they receive a card everyday.

Barbara Clouser, a Spanish teacher and one of Collins’ closest friends, said “She has got one of the biggest hearts.”

Newcomers to the HHS community have experienced Collins’s welcoming arms. Eric Reno, a psychology and civics teacher, said he “greatly appreciated her assistance during his first year of teaching.” He also said that Collins invited him over for dinner after his arrival.

Angela Shipper, a secretary in the guidance offices, remembers when she first came to Hershey that Collins was one of the first to introduce themselves. Shipper said she “adores” Collins and her welcoming attitude. She said Mrs. Collins does a lot of small actions but “little effort goes a long way.”

Her openness and compassion is also seen in her teaching. Collins said she strives “…to build a trust, right away. With everybody.” Over the years she has grown and adapted to her students, learning how to do things they propose. This was one of the reasons she chose to teach high school level students.

Collins enjoys the discussions that happens during class. “By high school,” Collins said, “the kids have background knowledge.”

Collins remains a strong figure despite having experienced numerous trials of her own. During the January of 2015, Collins was diagnosed with breast cancer. Bittinger said in spite of this, Collins was in school every single day she could. Collins remembers that her own family and her Hershey High School family helped her through every step of her cancer battle. Her fellow co-workers wore pink in honor of her.

Collins said, “I can’t even list all of the ways my friends and colleagues helped me to get through this disease and help me to heal.  I will never ever forget the care and love I felt and honestly I think that support is what ultimately made me survive, because honestly the treatment is so harsh and almost as bad as the disease itself.”

Her experience with cancer showed her that she was fighter. “If someone bugs me,” Collins said, “I think to myself, ‘I survived cancer, I can get through this too, no problem.”’

Even during her cancer battles, Collins was always worrying about somebody else. Nikki Fischer, a World History and AP Human Geography teacher, is one of Collins’s closest friend. Collins “rarely ever missed” a day of school said Fischer, even at times when most people would. She kept her upbeat attitude and continued radiating joy.

Everyone meeting Collins will speak about her kindness. But her closer friends mention her more particular traits. Fisher said that Collins has an odd distaste for rubber bands.  She is however a fan of Seinfeld, according to Bittinger.

Pete Steelman said she is also “a rock girl at heart.”

An inquisitive characteristic of Collins is that she enjoys traveling. Besides Germany, Spain, Austria and England, she has been to nine other countries, either through school trips or family trips.

Friends of Collins could go on and on about her person. But anyone, even meeting her the first time, could speak about her compassion because it is on of her strongest attributes. Everyone is drawn to her caring spirit; she is someone people like to be around. Her kindness and generosity serve as an example to everyone around. As Scott Dilger, a World History teacher said, “We need more Mrs. Collinses in the world.”