Giving kick-starts caring careers

AHS volunteers garner scholarships to pursue healthcare dreams

Story & photo by Kelly Morris

LETHBRIDGE — Each year, four high-achieving future healthcare heroes are selected to receive scholarships in support of their career ambitions. Alberta Health Services (AHS) Volunteer Resources, the Friends of Chinook Regional Hospital and the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation are proud to recognize this year’s Healthcare Professionals of Tomorrow: Emily Huynh, Bhawana Pradhan, Selina Sun and Elyse Burgess.

All four recipients have shown immense dedication to volunteering throughout their high school years and continuing into post-secondary. Emily Huynh, volunteering for almost 10 years, has recorded more than 550 volunteer hours.

“I enjoy volunteering because of the opportunities to interact with the community in a meaningful way,” says Huynh. “These interactions have allowed me to grow and continue to grow as an individual.”

Huynh will use the scholarship towards her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology, which she begins this fall at the University of Alberta – Augustana.

“It’s through volunteering that I was able to develop my future career goal of working in healthcare, where I hope I can continue to make meaningful contributions to the community,” says Huynh. “I’m grateful to receive this scholarship as it will allow me to focus on my studies and prioritize forging opportunities related to my future healthcare career.”

With the goal of creating a more welcoming and less overwhelming experience for patients, Bhawana Pradhan says volunteering continues to inspire her pursuit of a career in medicine.

“Being surrounded by patients, families and healthcare professionals has shown me just how resilient and compassionate people can be, and my experience here has only strengthened my passion for working in healthcare,” says Pradhan. “This scholarship has motivated me tremendously to continue working hard, engage with the community around me, and, above all, has served as a sign never to give up on what I am passionate about.”

Volunteering throughout high school gave Selina Sun the opportunity to narrow down her career goals while having a positive impact on her community.

“Through volunteerism, I have been able to meet countless individuals who have transformed my perspectives, especially around mental-health stigma,” says Sun. “I choose to volunteer as a way to give back to my community while also strengthening who I am as an individual. I hope that this scholarship will help alleviate financial costs as I move into pursuing a science degree at the University of British Columbia and hopefully, one day, medical school.”

Elyse Burgess started volunteering when she was only 13, motivated by her own childhood experiences in hospital and the support she and her family received from volunteers.

“Once I was old enough to volunteer, I immediately took the opportunity to reciprocate my positive volunteer experience,” says Burgess. “I have experienced how volunteers can provide a human touch and compassion in an increasingly pressured healthcare system. As a volunteer, I consider myself part of the larger health care team, where I can provide a listening ear, a smile and a distraction from the hospital routine.”

The annual scholarships are awarded to exceptional volunteers who are pursuing a career in healthcare, who live within the hospital’s service area, and who have volunteered with patients at CRH.

“I was so impressed by the passion these four volunteers show and their willingness to learn and make a difference in the community,” says Daniel Erickson, executive director of the Friends of Chinook Regional Hospital. “Their hard work and continual dedication to volunteering at CRH is inspiring. Each student is worthy of congratulations on this achievement as they journey towards their career in healthcare.”

This year, the Friends of Chinook Regional Hospital have teamed up with the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation to provide the largest scholarships to date, awarding two $4,000 scholarships and two $3,000 scholarships.

The Friends of Chinook Regional Hospital is a volunteer organization that supports programs that improve the patient experience and enhance the hospital community through the efforts of dedicated staff and volunteers.

The Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation inspires philanthropy to advance healthcare across southern Alberta. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation invests in priority equipment, technology, innovation, education and programs that improve patient care close to home.

“We’re excited to contribute to the Healthcare Professionals of Tomorrow scholarships, knowing that the awards will continue to inspire the next generation of doctors, nurses and public health professionals,” says Crystal Elliott, CEO of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation. “We see the impact of volunteers here at CRH every day and are thrilled to support these passionate and motivated students as they continue to change the lives of patients and families as volunteers and eventually as healthcare professionals.”