This was the first year for the $500 scholarship awards and according to MelroseWakefield Healthcare chief development officer Rose Fisher, the scholarships will be awarded annually moving forward.
“The VolunTeens are a very special group of dedicated young people,” she said. “Many will be preparing for careers in healthcare and we are proud of them all and wish our graduates the best of luck in the future.”
Goguen, a recent graduate of Belmont Hill, will be attending Tufts University in Medford. He is enrolled as a pre-med student, with the goal of eventually going to medical school and becoming a physician, like his grandfather, Norman Goguen, a former orthopedic surgeon at MelroseWakefield Hospital. “I learned so much from the nurses during my three years as a volunteer,” said Goguen. “I plan to study to become a cardiologist and they taught me how to read EKGs and all about cardiac issues.”
Lima is also planning on studying biology and pre-med when she attends UMass Boston in the fall. The Wakefield High School graduate spent her volunteer time on the patient units offering patients books, magazines, a drink of water and sometimes just someone to talk to for a while. “Volunteering at MelroseWakefield Hospital helped me to decide my career path,” said Lima. “I love helping people and this experience proved to me that I want to explore a career in medicine.”
