Junior volunteers fill vital role

Surprise high school student Victoria Davis, 15, wants to be a physician who specializes in sports medicine. So she has spent the last three summers as a junior volunteer at Banner Del W. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West.

"My whole family is in medicine," said Davis, a student at Xavier Prepatory High School. "So this is deeply (ingrained) in the family, and I enjoy the atmosphere."

Davis is one of just more than 100 new volunteers assisting patients and staff on four-hour shifts at Banner Boswell and Del E. Webb medical centers this summer.

The students, who range in age from 14 to 18, come from all over the Northwest Valley but hail predominantly from Surprise and high schools Willow Canyon and Valley Vista.

Rose Pflug, volunteer services coordinator at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center, said the young people are filling roles which are available after senior volunteers leave for cooler climates over the summer.

"They fill those slots and support nursing and hospital staff, admissions, surgeon services and all kinds of support roles," Pflug said.

Davis works in the volunteer office and admissions in the afternoon. She said the experience has made her feel less intimidated by the hospital atmosphere.

"And it helps me develop social skills," Davis said.

Krisha Pathak, 15, also of Surprise and a student at Willow Canyon High Shcool, has returned for a third summer to volunteer at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center.

She is the day chairman in the volunteer office this summer, but previously served other duties including delivering cards and flowers and helping deliver newspapers to the patients.

Though Pathak plans to study the arts in college, she said she enjoys the social aspects of volunteering at the hospital and helping patients and staff have a better day.

"I like to get to meet new people in the community and learn how to communicate better," Pathak said.

Desiree Justus, 14, said volunteering is a way to give back to the community.

"Plus I want to be a cardiologist," she said, adding she is inspired by her father Doug Justus, who works in the cardiac catheterization lab at Banner Del E. Webb.

Desiree, a Surprise resident, will start her freshman year at Willow Canyon High School in the fall. She is volunteering five days a week.

Katherine Taylor, 14, a student at Barry Goldwater High School, said her first day of volunteer work on a nursing floor was enjoyable.

"We go in and talk to patients, remove food trays," Taylor said.

Taylor said she wasn't sure of her career path, so volunteering will help give her health care experience.

Visiting with the patients has been the most fun, she said.

"Some like to tell stories, and some are quiet," Taylor said.

Pflug said the junior volunteers are an inspiration, since they are learning at a young age the importance of giving back to the community.

"It's good to see their thought process ... because there are tremendous needs in our community, which has a lot of older residents who need help and don't have family and need to rely on others for help," Pflug said. "It's good to see these volunteers dedicated to the community and dedicated to this. It's something they can carry all through their lives and encourage others to do."

Candace Hoffman also contributed to this story.