While some students are completing their community service hours just to qualify for the Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship, Kaycie Scolari and Emily Shoemaker are using their community service hours to prepare themselves for their future careers. Each dedicates hours each week to help prepare for future jobs.

Scolari completes her community service hours each week by volunteering at Holmes Regional Medical Center.

“The reason I started volunteering at the hospital was because I want to be a doctor, specifically and general surgeon,” she said. “This way working in the hospital gives me the opportunity to feel the vibes of the hospital work as well as getting my name in the system. I volunteer every weekend on Saturday from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. So far this year, I have received 79 community service hours. My favorite part of volunteering is that I get to help people by being close or doing something I love. Seeing patients healthy and smiling is the best thing I could ask for.”

Shoemaker mostly completes her community service hours through her volleyball club. She mainly helps assist the younger team by helping running the drills and setting up equipment.

“I think that what I do for volunteering will help my future career because it has helped me to become a better leader and has also helped me to work closely with others,” she said. “I usually volunteer once or twice a week and maybe sometimes on the weekends. Every year I volunteer around 100 community service hours with them. I love to volunteer because volleyball is something I have a passion for and getting to share it with kids is my favorite part.”

By Isabella Serrano