Good Sam Junior Volunteers Awarded Scholarships

The Guilds of Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center recently presented scholarships to three junior volunteers.

Karyn DeFranco, Kevin Kavitt, and Ornella Jean-Philippe have volunteered since 2010, and were awarded $1,500 scholarships for their service.

“All of the applicants wrote compelling essays about their past service and their future plans. Committee members found it difficult to select among so many deserving applicants," said Guild Scholarships Committee Chair Alice Weckerle. "All agree, however, that this year’s winners are representative of the high caliber of students in Good Samaritan’s Junior Volunteer Program," she said.

DeFranco, a senior at East Islip High School, has given more than 200 hours of service in the hospital’s Nursing Home and in the Office of Public and External Affairs. “Being a Good Sam volunteer was a great way to help my community and better myself,” she said. DeFranco will be attending Union College to study environmental science.

Kavitt, a graduate of West Islip High School, volunteers for the Department of Environmental and Transport Service. “Volunteering has helped assure me in my pursuit of a medical career,” said Kavitt. He will be heading to Binghamton University to study biology/pre-med. 

Ornella Jean-Philippe, a senior at Bay Shore High School, worked in the volunteer office and assisted with the coordination of the junior volunteer program. “I enjoyed being a volunteer at Good Samaritan which allowed me to meet and work with outstanding people,” she said. She will be major in biology at Boston University.

The medical center has more than 250 active junior volunteers between the ages of 15 and 18 , who collectively contributed more than 7,000 hours in 2011. The program enables high school students to meet their community service requirements, as they participate in hospital events and assist in various departments throughout the facility.