More than ABCs: The FYI on Mentoring Local Youth

Amanda Shanner, Research Coordinator and Community Volunteer

Amanda Shanner

Amanda Shanner has been a volunteer for as long as she’s been a BWHer. This is her fourth year working with local elementary and high school students through volunteer programs offered by BWH’s Center for Community Health and Health Equity (CCHHE). Shanner, a clinical research coordinator for the Division of Vascular Surgery, volunteers for the Pen Pals, Science Club and Summer Science Academy programs.

What is your role at BWH?

I manage clinical research trials related to carotid artery disease, aneurysms, peripheral vascular disease and hemodialysis access surgeries. I help the surgeons screen, enroll and follow study participants.

What do you like about volunteering?

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community, and all the students we work with are very bright, eager and enthusiastic.

I remember how exciting it was for me in elementary school to have a pen pal, so it’s fun being on the other side of that. And I have to say, getting a letter from a 7-year-old in my office mail is never a disappointment!

Science Club provides me with an opportunity to foster connections with a group of kids and help build their confidence in science. We do at least six projects with the same group of students, so you really get to know them and get to see their progress.

Do you have a special volunteer moment?

There was a great moment with my Science Club group when we did a project simulating an oil spill, just after the BP Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf. The timing was a complete coincidence, but it gave the students a unique opportunity to connect what they were learning in school to real events. They asked how we would get all the oil out of the oceans if it’s so hard to clean up even one spoonful.

What advice would you give to fellow BWHers interested in volunteering?

Don’t let a busy work schedule discourage you from volunteering. There are all sorts of programs out there, with varying time commitments. Finding one that works for you is definitely worth the effort!

Interested in volunteer opportunities coordinated by the CCHHE? Contact Pamela Audeh, CCHHE coordinator, at paudeh@partners.org to learn more.