Pa. Army mom returns early from deployment to surprise kids at school

A Milton Hershey School family has been reunited just in time for the holidays.

Four of the school’s students - Nadia, in fifth grade; Khaan in third; Leyla in first grade; and Kivanc in kindergarten - were surprised on Thursday morning with the early arrival of their mother, U.S. Army Specialist Masallah Sema.

“I haven’t seen my kids in 10 months,” Sema said. “Going from a full-time mom and seeing your kids every day, to not seeing them for 10 months, is a bit drastic. I’m so happy that I was able to come home early and surprise them.”

Sema had been deployed for nearly a year overseas, with a majority of that time in Egypt. She was initially scheduled for her return on Jan. 15, but a change in plans allowed for her to arrive before Christmas and see her kids.

Sema surprised the four children at school, along with their father Tolga Cetin and members of the media, at a special gathering arranged by Milton Hershey School staff.

“I couldn’t be more grateful or thankful for all of you guys [at Milton Hershey School],” Sema said. “It’s phenomenal, and I coudln’t express how much I appreciate it.”

Originally from New Jersey, Sema enrolled her kids in the Milton Hershey School just before her deployment. With Cetin working overnight shifts, she said, the Derry Township boarding school allows for their children to be well taken care of.

“It’s a blessing,” Sema said. “It’s such a blessing to be able to have kids come here, and you guys take such good care of them. I always tell everyone, when they don’t know about Milton Hershey School, ‘my kids go to Harvard for children.’ That’s literally what I call Milton Hershey School. It’s such a beautiful place and I’m so excited my kids get to be a part of it.”

For their part, the children were a combination of stunned happiness and shyness, with an intimate, tearful reunion combined with a gathering of lights and cameras from media personnel.

“They were so focused on the cameras, they didn’t move a muscle!” Sema laughed. “Their reaction, I think, is just shock right now.”

When asked how much they’d missed their mom while she was gone, answers ranged from “a hundred” to “a trillion” and they collectively agreed that this was “the best Christmas ever.”

But the surprises aren’t done yet, Sema said. After an early dismissal from school, the family will be headed to see their new home in Lykens, which Sema bought while deployed and had yet to see in person.

“They all have their own rooms, and it’s only 45 minutes from here,” she said. “I’ll be able to see them whenever I want. I’m really grateful that the military gave me this opportunity to deploy and pay off my debt, and get my life together for my kids.”

And tomorrow, Sema said, the family will also be picking up one last surprise: a new puppy will also be joining the family.

“This is hopefully going to be the best Christmas they’ve ever had in their lives,” Sema said.

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