HE&R Team Member Spotlights: Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month 2024
HE&R Team Members Share What AANHPI Heritage Month Means to Them
Throughout May, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R) was proud to spotlight two of our team members on the HersheyJobs Instagram and HE&R Facebook pages in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. We invite you to meet our team members, Shannon and Melissa, who shared their thoughts and stories with us:
Shannon Stull, Devon Seafood + Steak
Meet Shannon, who began her HE&R career at Devon Seafood + Steak in 2019 after she and her husband relocated to Central Pennsylvania from South Florida. “I started as a server. Once I walked in [to the restaurant], I instantly felt ‘This is it!’” Now Assistant Restaurant Manager, Shannon oversees the front-of-house team of servers and server assistants. “I ensure that our team is being taken care of, and I’m available for them - being ready for anything and everything! These four walls are my home, and this is my second family. HE&R is such a big company, but it feels small and very close.”
As an active participant in MERGE at HE&R (Multi-Ethnic Resource Group for Everyone), Shannon has found a space in which to talk about and embrace her Japanese heritage. “I am Japanese but was in the middle my entire life. Do I belong to the American side or the Asian side?” She continues, “Growing up in southern Florida, there weren’t many families like mine. I felt like I couldn’t be Asian if I didn't look Asian, so I struggled with my identity. Growing up in a ‘50-50’ environment and not really knowing where I belonged was difficult. Now that I’m 32 and a mom, I'm going to make sure that my sons know our culture and they live it.”
When asked what the celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month means to her, Shannon reflects on the grit of AANHPI individuals, including her paternal grandmother, who met her grandfather in Japan while he was serving in the U.S. Army. “It recognizes people who persevered, pushed past boundaries, and proved that we belong in this country, including my grandmother.” She continues, “My grandmother learned English from The Bible. She will be 90 years old this year and earned her U.S. citizenship 15 years ago. Her determination in her fight to be here is incredible.” In reflecting on her grandmother’s proud history, Shannon explains that her strength and reverence for their shared culture “…makes me proud of who I am.”
Melissa Wiehe, HE&R Corporate Finance
Meet Melissa, who joined the HE&R team as Manager of Corporate Accounting in September 2023. A finance and accounting professional with over 15 years of experience, Melissa was drawn to HE&R when she learned more about the company’s Core Purpose. “I really connected to the Core Purpose of supporting Milton Hershey School (MHS) because I, too, went to a boarding school in Hawaii. Kamehameha Schools has a lot of similarities to MHS. My experience there opened up opportunities for me that I otherwise would not have had, just like the children at MHS.” Outside of work, Melissa’s three children—Harlan, Alohilani, and Mahina—keep her very busy, “I am truly an Uber for my kids!” She also takes advantage of every opportunity to visit her family in Hawaii as often as possible.
For Melissa, the celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month calls attention to the diversity of AANHPI communities, emphasizing the rich blend of cultures she experienced growing up in Hawaii. “Hawaii is a melting pot! It is rare to meet a true Hawaiian.” She continues, “AANHPI Heritage Month is a time to reflect and celebrate what these different cultures have accomplished in our history. I am Irish, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Chinese. My grandmother was Hawaiian and Chinese. My grandfather immigrated from the Philippines when he was 15 years old. He was a strong Filipino man who harvested pineapples, and it was very hard work.”
Melissa cites her grandparents as significant motivators who encouraged her to advance her education. She left Hawaii to pursue her undergraduate studies in Oregon and earned her Master’s degree in Pennsylvania. “My grandparents settled on the island of Molokai in Hawaii, which is where my family still lives today. Their generation was in search of a better life, and I am the result of that.”