The volunteers of North Fulton Regional Hospital always look forward to this time of year. The weather will soon make a turn toward warmth, flowers will ultimately follow, and scholarship dollars are about to be distributed to many deserving students planning to pursue careers in the healthcare field. Yes, it is certainly a wonderful time of year.
Each year the volunteers award approximately $25,000 in college scholarships. The program began in 1986 with a total of $4,500 awarded across four individuals. It has since grown with close to 30 individuals receiving help in their education efforts each year. Lt. Alicia Weissgerber of the US Navy is a past volunteer who has since taken her experiences at North Fulton Regional Hospital, applied them to her education with the help of the volunteer program scholarship, and formed them into a fulfilling career and life.
“I was a hospital volunteer during my senior year of high school, and this experience had a tremendous impact on my future career choices,” Weissgerber says. “After pursuing a general science degree, I changed to a nursing curriculum when I decided that I enjoyed the experiences that I observed in the hospital while I was volunteering.” While in nursing school, Weissgerber returned to NFRH, this time as a nurse assistant. She then proceeded to Atlanta Medical Center to work in the Intensive Care Unit. Immediately upon graduating, she found herself commissioned into the Navy Nurse Corps; it was here that she began her nursing career at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
In the years that have followed, Weissgerber has worked as an intensive care nurse, caring for wounded sailors and marines. This work lead her to an interest in nursing anesthesia, and in December 2007, she graduated with honors from the Navy Nurse Corps Anesthesia Program.
“I plan to serve several more years in the US Navy before returning home to Georgia,” Weissgerber says. Currently stationed in North Carolina, she credits much of her success to her husband John, her parents Mike and Joyce Broyles and to the career direction she received as a result of her experience volunteering at North Fulton Regional Hospital.
“I recommend anyone planning a medical career to volunteer and experience the hospital first hand. It is an opportunity to meet staff and other volunteers as they are an excellent resource for information when formulating any medical career path.”
The Volunteer Scholarship Program is open to anyone in the community pursuing a career in the medical field. Meryl Shlossman, a 24-year volunteer and current president of the Volunteer Program, is a strong proponent. “Our program put one girl completely through college . . . she got it each year,” she says. “If I was asked to give up something, the one thing I could never give up is the scholarship program.” Information on this program can be found at www.northfultonregional.com/volunteer.
For more information about the Volunteer Scholarship Program and the many volunteer opportunities at North Fulton Regional Hospital, call 770-751-2602, or visit www.northfultonregional.com/volunteer.