Teen volunteers give time and talent — and gain vital experience

✔ Meet with Geisinger’s cardiothoracic surgeons.

✔ Scan hospital hallways to flag safety concerns.

✔ Create meals for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House.

It sounds like a to-do list for a hospital administrator, doctor or dietitian. But these are all opportunities Geisinger’s youth volunteers enjoy as part of their immersion in the system’s workings and culture. 

“Our Junior Volunteer Program participants explore every aspect of the hospital so they can make informed decisions about their career paths,” says Nyky Crabb, regional operations manager for Volunteer Services at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. “They don’t just participate in clinical experiences, they also learn about non-clinical careers such as accounting, food service — everything we do here.” 

Each summer, from mid-June to mid-August, Geisinger welcomes teens ages 15 to 18 at the Danville campus, as well as at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre and Geisinger Lewistown Hospital.

The program isn’t new. Junior volunteers have been serving at Geisinger for decades. But their roles and involvement have grown in recent years. From hands-on tasks to career exploration workshops, they gain real-world experience and a glimpse into the many careers available in today’s modern, complex health systems.

By the end of the 8-week experience, volunteers may have explored Geisinger Life Flight^® helicopters, heard from anesthesiologists, taken active shooter training from the security team, completed CPR classes, made crafts for patients, prepared food for patient families and attended meetings of Geisinger’s employee resource groups. 

Experienced youth volunteers who return for a second or third year gain more autonomy and earn leadership opportunities as they grow in seniority.

“We collaborate with as many departments throughout the system as we can,” says Ms. Crabb, noting that the volunteer pool varies and in summer 2025 included students from 6 continents. “It’s intercultural and intergenerational. And it’s driven by the students’ interests.”

Building skills, fostering empathy

Many participants are interested in clinical careers or becoming healthcare providers, often following in the footsteps of a family member. But the Junior Volunteer Program welcomes young people with all kinds of backgrounds and interests. 

Shaun Sahaya, who has served in the program for 3 years, has a Geisinger-employed family member — but they’re not a clinician. Shaun’s father works on Epic, Geisinger’s electronic health record system, as part of an IT team.

Being a youth volunteer is “an awesome experience,” Shaun says, explaining that he most enjoys interacting with patients. “Just to see a smile on a patient’s face — it makes me happy.”

Third-year volunteer Sanah Bhanushali also appreciates the chance to meet a variety of people and brighten their days. Her sisters also participated in the Junior Volunteer Program at Geisinger, and Sanah is considering medical school and perhaps specialization in oncology. “The JVP program has really inspired me,” she says.

Rishabh Nama, who’s volunteering for his second year and plans to attend medical school, likes helping staff and making their work easier. “Even if you don’t want to go into healthcare, it’s a great experience because you build connections with people,” he says. 

Staff support

The program’s success hinges on support from adult staff across the entire system, says Ms. Crabb. Although people in every role are busy, they willingly make time to mentor and encourage the next generation.

“Recently, an interventional radiologist coordinated a full-day learning experience for JVP participants, including topics such as 3D printing,” Ms. Crabb says. “He even worked with a vendor to have supplies donated so the kids could practice with real-life materials.”

By exposing young people to the variety of roles and skills needed to make a health system run safely and efficiently, “we make sure students understand that every role has value,” she adds. “They’re also developing empathy.”

The program does have a (positive) ulterior motive: to bring talented young people into the Geisinger family with the hope that they will return to serve their communities.

“Geisinger strives to be the best,” says Ms. Crabb. “It’s our culture. To do that, we say, ‘That was great. How can we do it better tomorrow?’ ”

Geisinger youth volunteers are encouraged to participate in continuous improvement in all they do. Their fresh eyes are an asset, Ms. Crabb says. And hopefully, they’ll continue to take advantage of the all of the ongoing opportunities Geisinger has to offer them and remain part of the Geisinger team.

“We feel like the investment we’re putting into this will pay off in the future,” she says. And not just for Geisinger. “We want these young people to be the best, too — wherever they go.”

This story originally appeared in the fall issue of PA Health, our quarterly full-color magazine filled with wellness tips, inspiring stories and more.

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