Goals of Health Care Careers Get a Boost from Service League's Scholarships

The Washington Hospital Service League is well known for its many dedicated volunteers, both adults and students, who work with the Hospital’s staff to provide care and support to patients, families and visitors.

What may not be as well known is that the Service League also supports our community by providing scholarships to residents, 22 years of age or younger, who wish to pursue a career in health care and also live in the Washington Hospital Township District. The Service League’s Scholarship Program, which has contributed to the training and education of many young people in our community, was established in 1961. The first nursing scholarship of $150 was awarded to a nursing student training at Highland Hospital.

During the last 60 years, the Service League has awarded a total of $308,335 in scholarships to deserving students. Now, the Service League grants two $1,000 scholarships annually that are renewable for three additional years, based on the student’s academic performance and continued focus on the health care field. A one-time scholarship is also awarded. This year we were fortunate to be able to award four additional scholarships. Three of the scholarships were awarded in memory of Louis Dawson and one scholarship was awarded in memory of Edith Piskel. We are very grateful for our generous donors who made this possible.

“Our volunteers love working in the Hospital and helping patients and families, but it is also very meaningful to give assistance and support to budding doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in our community,” explains the Service League’s Scholarship Chair Dian Zarzycki. “Meeting these impressive young people and learning about their past accomplishments and future hopes and dreams is very inspirational.”

2016 Scholarship Recipients

• Hossein Bakhshandeh is the winner of our four-year Josephine Walton Health Career Scholarship. His passion for biology and desire to work with children will serve him well in his desired career of pediatrician. He will attend Davidson College in the fall.

• Meghna Srivastava is the winner of our four-year Katherine Fusco Health Career Scholarship. She participated in Washington Hospital’s Medical Explorer program and interned at UCSF last summer. Megna desires to be a physician and will attend University of California, Berkeley in the fall.

• Dylan Scott is the winner of the one-time $1,000 Anna Elola Health Career Scholarship. He will major in Kinesiology this fall at San Diego State University in order to become a physical therapist.

• Athena Pham was awarded a $1,000 Edith Piskel Memorial Health Career Scholarship. She is attending the Dominican University of California pursuing a degree as a registered nurse. She is also a talented pianist.

• Cynthia Chang was awarded a $1,000 Louis Dawson Memorial Health Career Scholarship. She had the opportunity to conduct research and shadow physicians at the Cleveland Clinic this past summer. She will attend Harvard University in the fall. Jessica Leung was awarded a $500 Louis Dawson Memorial Health Career Scholarship. She desires to become a pharmacist and will attend University of California, Davis in the fall.

• Yanet Paredes was awarded a $500 Louis Dawson Memorial Health Career Scholarship. A family member had a stroke that paralyzed half of his body. This created a desire in her to become a physical therapist. She will attend Holy Names University in the fall.

Learn more

To find out more about the Washington Hospital Service League, including how you can become a volunteer at Washington Hospital, go to www.whhs.com/volunteer