Gritman Medical Center | Connections | Winter 2014

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FOR some teenagers, summers
are spent hanging out with friends,
staying up late and sleeping in. For
others, like former Gritman Junior
Volunteer Tasha Paul, summers are
spent working on habitat restoration
in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosys-
tem and serving in Nicaragua and
Panama as part of a youth ambassa-
dor program.
Paul was recently named Junior
Volunteer of the Year by the Idaho
Hospital Association (IHA). e IHA
cited her work ethic, her willingness
to help others and the ability to see the
impact of her work as contributing
factors for receiving the honor. Al-
though she has worked on numerous
service projects and held leadership
positions within Gritman’s Junior
Volunteer program, Paul credits her
parents with instilling in her the values
of community service at a young age.
A dedicated volunteer
“My parents were very in uential
in making me interested in volun-
teering when I was younger, and
then it became something I chose
to do,” Paul said. “For me, it’s very
rewarding to take a small portion of
my time to help people.”
Paul, who is now a freshman
studying molecular biology and
biotechnology at the University of
Idaho, spent four years in the Grit-
man Medical Center Junior Volun-
teer program, from 2010 to 2014.
During that time, she completed
more than 350 volunteer hours—
well above the volunteer average
of 48.6 hours for Idaho residents
as reported by the Corporation for
National and Community Service.
“Volunteer work is very valuable
for teens and young adults, because
it allows us to become involved in
our communities, meet and enjoy
the company of new people, try new
experiences and develop personal
skills,” Paul said. “Sometimes it
requires hard work, but it’s always a
‘A win-win situation’
Gritman teen receives Junior Volunteer of the Year Award from the Idaho Hospital Association
IHA Junior Volunteer of the Year Tasha Paul
(left), Kara Besst, President and CEO (center),
and Debi Dockins, Director of Volunteer
Services, pose for a photo inside the Gritman
Administration o ce.
ANOTHER WIN AT GRITMAN: Chief
Nursing O cer Sheryl Washburn (left)
presents Danielle Engle, RN, with the DAISY
Award for the rst quarter of 2014. Engle
was nominated for her professionalism and
the level of care she provides to Family Birth
Center patients.
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win-win situation in the end.”
Debi Dockins, director of Gritman
Volunteer Services, commended
Paul for “going above and beyond”
the requirements of the Gritman Ju-
nior Volunteer program—picking up
additional hours when needed and
serving as the secretary/treasurer
from 2012 to 2013 and president
from 2013 to 2014.
Proud and thankful
“I have worked with many stu-
dent volunteers, and it is a very
rare occasion to receive someone as
motivated and hard-working as Ms.
Paul,” said Dockins in a letter to the
IHA Committee on Volunteers.
Paul re ects on her time as a Ju-
nior Volunteer with a sense of pride
for the work she did and is grateful
for the experience the program pro-
vided her. “I always enjoyed being
part of the annual back-to-school
supplies drive and seeing my e orts
bene t local students,” she said. “My
last year as a Junior Volunteer was
when I became most immersed in
the program, because serving as
president required me to ful ll many
new responsibilities. I consider this
as my most rewarding experience
overall, because I was able to spend
so much time with other amazing
volunteers and learn so much about
my abilities as a leader.”
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