Giving and Receiving by Kasey

Giving and Receiving by Kasey - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

The summer after my freshman year I was given the opportunity to volunteer at the Lima Memorial Hospital in the pharmacy. Since I am currently looking into becoming a pharmacist, this sounded like the perfect way to get an idea of what a pharmacist does while still in high school. I loved volunteering there so much that I continued volunteering in the pharmacy during the summer for three more years, completing over one hundred hours. Not only did volunteering give me experience in a pharmacy, but it also gave me a new insight of people, and encouraged me to help my community.
My job in the hospital was to deliver medicine and IV drips to all different floors of the hospital. As I took the elevators or stairs, I saw many people that I would smile and greet. I also got to see the patients that I would be delivering medicine for. The nurses or doctors I would deliver the medicine to would be so grateful for what I did, as small as it was. As the years went by, I began to realize how important a pharmacist’s job was. A pharmacist creates and gives the drugs that could potentially save or improve someone’s life. And I got to be a part of that process. Even if all I was doing was delivering the medicine, I got to witness the joy and gratitude on people’s faces as I gave them whatever could help them.
The pharmacists themselves also were active in the community. Not only did they help people in their work, but they were also very engaged in their community. They were in plays, attended concerts, participated in 5ks, and went to their children's sporting events. The pharmacists that worked in the hospital always cared about each other and frequently kept up to date on each other. They have always held parties for us volunteers and for those who retire.
Volunteering in the hospital inspired me not only to pursue becoming a pharmacist, but to give back to my community and be a better person in general. Pharmacists give back to their community by giving medicine that could save or change someone’s life for the better, but they also give back to the community out of work as well. I hope that someday I can become a pharmacist and not only work to make my community a healthier place, but produce change by being an active and kind person in society. By volunteering in the hospital, I got to give a lot to others. But in return I received so much inspiration and insight. Because of this, I can give back this inspiration to others who may also be looking into pharmacy or helping their community by telling them how fulfilling it truly is to give back to the community who has given so much to them, like it has to me.