Each summer, Aultman Alliance Community Hospital (AACH) welcomes high school students ages 16 through graduation to volunteer over the summer months. The program provides invaluable experience, particularly for students interested in medical careers.

Alliance High School student Madalynn Redinger volunteered at AACH this summer because she is interested in a nursing career. Here, she reflects on her experiences in the program.

What are your interests and involvement at school?
My intended major after high school is nursing, and I’m involved in the National Honor Society at school.

What motivated you to volunteer in the summer program at Aultman Alliance Community Hospital?
One of my teachers told us about it, and that sparked an interest in me to learn about the program.

In what department do you volunteer?
I volunteer in the Emergency Department. My duties typically include stocking rooms with linens and other supplies and necessities.

Describe a typical day of volunteering.
A typical day can vary depending on how busy the emergency room is. I stock the rooms that are open, and then as soon as someone is either discharged or admitted, I stock that room.

What do you like best about volunteering?
Seeing/learning how the emergency room functions firsthand and what the staff goes through on a day-to-day basis. They definitely have a lot of patience.

What are the most important things you’ve learned from this experience?
Have patience and love what you do.

How do you plan to use what you learned from this experience in the future?
I plan to use what I have learned while pursuing my nursing career. Also, for life lessons in general.

Applications for the annual Aultman Alliance Community Hospital summer volunteer program are accepted beginning in mid-March and are due in mid-May of each year.