Dorn VAMC Summer Student Program – Teenage Summer of Service

COLUMBIA, SC – Fifty teenagers became William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center volunteers. Their “Summer of Service” will last about two months as part of the Dorn VA Summer Student Program.

Annually, Dorn hosts the program as a way to share a “volunteer” experience to 13-17 year olds from local South Carolina schools.  It is designed to give those opportunities to demonstrate a level of commitment, professionalism, an eagerness to learn, and the ability to be a team player. Two of the students will be volunteering at the Greenville, S.C., Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).

The student volunteers are assigned to areas of interest for their future careers and Dorn employee mentors are available to support the student’s future endeavors through writing letters of reference.

“Many young people have come through this program over the years,” said Tammy Finney, chief of Voluntary Service at Dorn. “We hope it positively impacts their lives with gained knowledge, experience, and their ability to obtain scholarships.”

Most importantly, Veterans at Dorn VAMC have interaction with society’s future leaders.  These experiences with Veterans will serve as great information for school assignments and for public speaking events.

Recently, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald said, “There is no mission more noble than serving Veterans and their families.  State by state, community by community, person by person, there are a number of ways we can all come together to serve Veterans.”

Last year, 62 students logged 6,821 hours at Dorn VA and the Greenville CBOC.

Volunteers can help serve Veterans by visiting http://www.volunteer.va.gov/ to find out the needs of your local VA facility. Follow #VASummerOfService on Vantage Point, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and join VA in caring for America’s Veterans.