PHC Auxiliary Awards Volunteers Scholarships

Two high school seniors with aspirations of careers in healthcare are the recipients of the Putnam Hospital Center Auxiliary’s continuing education scholarships.

Junior volunteers Michelle Kushner and Nora Maerean each received $500 to go toward their educational pursuits.

“We offer a scholarship to junior volunteers as a sign of our appreciation for the many hours of community service students provide to Putnam Hospital Center,” said Michelle Piazza, director of volunteer and pastoral services. “We have a very talented and dedicated group of junior volunteers. Michelle and Nora are exceptional and we are very proud of their accomplishments.”

Kushner, a Somers High School senior, will attend the State University of New York at Binghamton to study nursing. She has volunteered at Putnam Hospital Center for two years, accumulating more than 189 hours of service. She mostly volunteered in the Rehabilitation Department. Her mother is a physical therapist at the hospital.

“I liked how, not only was I able to help people in a direct way, I was also able to get a look at the healthcare field. It’s hard to at this age,” said Kushner, 18.

Maerean, a senior at Ridgefield High School in Connecticut, will attend Rice University in September, where she plans to study medicine. She has volunteered at Putnam Hospital Center for about three years providing more than 198 volunteer hours in various units including the Emergency Department and Radiology.

“I thought it was really rewarding. You get to help a patient. Bringing them water, a blanket can make their day,” Maerean, 17, said of her service. “I also got a first- hand look at a doctor’s routine in a hospital.”

Kushner and Maerean were selected by a committee. This is the third year the Auxiliary has awarded these educational scholarships.