Volunteering Personal Statement

Growing up, my parents instilled the value of service in me. For this reason, I pursued a degree in Education in order to serve my community with the best skillset. However, it was until serving as an AmeriCorps member that I developed a more critical lens to what public service means. Before my term of service, I thought serving was just a matter of showing up and completing a task. While this is partially true, I learned that in order to maximize change, it is important to involve who we are serving. At times, we focus more on quantity rather than quality and end up doing a disservice to communities who need the most help. I want to serve with The Peace Corps to facilitate change and to empower communities through education.

According the the American Bureau of Labor Statistics, “...over 4.9 million Americans volunteered their time in a hospital or health-related organization [in 2011]” (Kendrick, “Sector Spotlight: Volunteer Management in Hospitals”). All those volunteers, also called Candy Stripers, made a positive change in their medical community and I was extremely honored to be one of those individuals. The ill stricken, misfortunate and even hospital staff need as much assistance as possible according to my experience. I encourage college students to take action and become hospital volunteers. When becoming a hospital volunteer, an individual will be able to assist nurses, support patients both physically and psychologically, provide funds to your local hospital and gain knowledge on how to serve the community positively in the future.

In September 2015, I had an opportunity to join the team of volunteers of the Inspira Medical Center in Woodbury. I joined the Emergency Department. My shifts were once a week for three to six hours. I had a chance to interact with patients, mostly to help ease their anxiety and fear. This experience was valuable because it allowed me not just to observe, but also to look at healthcare from the perspective of a patient. I realized that I did not have to be a licensed practitioner to understand patients’ concerns and fears. I also realized that any effort on my part to help ease such worries would go a long way towards helping the patient feel more secure in themselves and their

I have some quality volunteer experience, such as rebuilding houses in New Orleans after Katrina and rebuilding houses in Joplin after the tornado. These experience helped me gain further insight on how to comfort and restore confidence in individuals who are in great need. In addition to these volunteering experiences, I have shadowed various doctors and nurses throughout the Saint Louis area. During each experience, grow more confident as well as more anxious in becoming a nurse. These shadowing occasions have granted me better understanding of how to maintain a balance between professional composer and care giving. Currently I am working at a summer camp for kids. This experience has taught me about responsibility and leadership. All experiences have contributed to an overall understanding of the medical field as well as human

One reason I would like to Volunteer at Baylor Scott & White in Grapevine Is to get exposure to different medical fields inside the hospital. I know that this program is not a shadowing opportunity or anything of that nature. However, every time I step foot in a hospital I get extremely excited and ready to go to medical school. I am not only doing this for the experience though. One of the things that brings me the most joy in life is being able to help people. In fact, that is one of the reason’s I want to go into the medical field.

Serving as volunteer at Baptist Medical Center East played a large part in my decision to become a physician. I spent 17 months volunteering with the surgery department. In that time, I saw many patients and was able to observe the interaction of nurses, techs, physicians, and patients. As a volunteer I did a lot of cleaning and organizing, however I had the opportunity to meet with patients and show them to their holding room. I saw many patients come and go, from emergency surgeries to common everyday procedures. All of these had the same things in common, family members who are worried about their loved ones. As a volunteer, I was able to witness the worry and hesitation as families walked back to the waiting room. I was also able to witness

Since volunteering in various youth organisation in my early teens, I have been drawn to a career in teaching, imparting my knowledge and making a difference in the lives of young people. Positively impacting upon children as they develop in self-awareness, confidence and ability, is an enormous privilege. I completed one week of work experience in a local primary school and have returned there to volunteer for three hours a week and during my study leave. This has provided me with the opportunity to take part in everyday life in a primary school, ranging from learning phonics with Primary 1 to performance rehearsals, to STEM projects with Primary 4. I enjoy leading reading groups and through this I have an appreciation of the pivotal importance of literacy.

As a student aspiring to pursue a medical career, I knew it was imperative to attain a firsthand experience in a medical setting. Therefore, my experience volunteering at the Volunteer Healthcare Clinic, or VHC, was profoundly significant as it allowed me to learn how the profession was in practice, which strengthen my desire to become a doctor. This experience, engaging with patients and physicians, exposed me to a different side of medicine through which I learned the crucial role of interpersonal communication; and, it also led me to discover a new aspect of medicine that captured my interest and motivated me to seek a profession within this field of study.

There was is no interview process. However, there was a 22-page application. I was told to complete the application and return it with a copy of my driver’s license, two non-family references. Skills I have that can be utilized in this position are my able to relate to children, my keen desire to work children, my willing to learn, my enthusiasm, tact, patience and a sense of humor. Skills I wish you to use more are my problem-solving skills, my literacy and numeracy skills.

Non nobis nati sumus (Not for ourselves alone are we born) Cautions the philosopher Cicero. Over the last several years I have engaged in projects whose sole purpose was to improve the lives of people. As the undergraduate chapter of my career comes to a close, I now look forward to writing a new chapter of service and dedication. I intend to build a foundation of knowledge that will harness my experiences and focus my passion as a member of the Peace Corps. I feel a true calling to serve in the Peace Corps because this program revolves around many of my life goals and aspirations: to travel and learn the native language of the region by integrating into the community, but most importantly, to serve others in a deep and meaningful way.

At a young age I grew to understand how important hospitals were. From my younger brother constantly receiving aid to alleviate his lung condition to my younger cousin hospitalized due to pancreatitis; I understood how hospitals could heavily affect people’s lives. This drew my attention towards how I wanted to pursue in the medical field. Seeing how hospitals and individuals in the health care industry had not only affected my family’s lives but others as well caused me to strive to have the desire to help others. I can perceive that being in the medical field when I’m an adult can achieve this goal that I have initiated onto myself. Hopefully by volunteering in this program, it will enrich my knowledge on how hospitals function. I feel that the hands on experience in this stimulating program would motivate my interest in medical field furthermore. Not only to expand this knowledge but to strengthen my

For the past three years, I have been volunteering in the Day Surgery and Emergency Departments at the Greater Niagara General Hospital. In this role, it is my responsibility to improve patient care and be the first person to approach a patient, even before the nurses. I also help to comfort the families of patients during emergencies, and keep them as calm as possible. I have come to enjoy this role immensely; instead of being home, I volunteer on Christmas Day, as I know that I can be a rather lonely time for most patients. Being able to help people, whether it is fetching them water or being a shoulder to cry on- is incredibly rewarding.

My mentor Yesenia Ordaz has been a volunteer in the pediatrics department of Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for six years. I have never met a more dedicated person who exemplifies what it means to serve and support a community. No matter what the situation was, Yesenia was always staying up to date with what the hospital needed, and how we could make the project serve those needs effectively. By observing Yesenia, I have learned that the best way to be a part of the hospital community, is to prioritize and serve the needs of the others before yourself. It seems obvious, but getting into the mindset of a hospitalized child can be complicated sometimes and remembering that every person has a slightly different perspective can also be hard to keep in

In my time at Southeast High School I have discovered the rewards of volunteering in my community. Volunteering provides the opportunity to gain new experiences and to meet members of my community that I would have otherwise ever had the opportunity to meet. My main motivation for applying to the Stephenson Cancer Center is to provide support to those going through the hardest time of their lives. Through my actions I hope to provide positivity and compassion. By being a part of the Teen Volunteer Program I want to aid patients going through the physical and emotional effects of their illness, by being helpful and understanding. During my time at the Stephenson Cancer center I hope gain a new perspective through the eyes of both the patients

A career in public service appeals to me because I believe it is my duty as a citizen to give back to the country that has given much to me. Working in public service, like John F. Kennedy stated is about asking what can you do for your country, rather than what your country can do for you. Therefore, working in public service at the Agency implies I can protect my fellow citizens, ensure that families do not have to worry about the threat of terrorism, and give back to my community for all the opportunities that I have had the privilege to experience. Working in public service means I can use my skills and connections to make sure that our nation and its citizens are safe from all enemies foreign and domestic.