By Naya Seth, Epic Kids Junior Reporter
HonorHealth hasn’t just been saving lives, they’ve also been inspiring the next generation to explore careers in healthcare! With their Explorers Club program, high schoolers all across the valley have the chance to hear from doctors and try hands-on activities, and these two students have been able to seize this opportunity. Nithish Prakash and Meyta MacCatherine have been active members in each of their chapters, exploring and pursuing their interests in healthcare.
Nithish, a senior at BASIS Scottsdale, has been a part of the Medical Explorers Club for 3 years–and now, he is the president of his chapter. His passion for healthcare ultimately comes down to one thing: human connection. “In a world driven by boundaries, medicine shows us that we’re all human,” he says. After a personal experience with surgery, he felt grateful for the way his doctors were able to explain everything clearly to him, inspiring him to volunteer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. After finding out about what HonorHealth was doing from a few friends, he applied to the Medical Explorers Club. Since then, he has been an active member, previously being the secretary of his chapter. For Nithish, being a member of this club doesn’t just mean that he gets to learn about healthcare, it means that he’s able to create a community with people who love the same things that he does.
Meyta, a junior at Basha High School, is just as passionate about her chapter–the Nursing Explorers Club. She’s been a member for two years and is now the activity director. Growing up, she was never really interested in healthcare, but as she saw her older sister becoming successful in this field, she felt inspired to follow in her footsteps. Her sister is her biggest role model, and Meyta would like to make her proud through a career in forensic nursing. This club has helped her give back to the community and make an impact–especially at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, where she was able to see just how many people could rally together to help make a change. Philanthropy is a part of who she is, and she spends her time volunteering at HonorHealth and nursing homes.
At each monthly Explorers Club meeting, members get together to hear from a guest speaker–real physicians, nurses, and specialists who share what their job is like. Then comes the fun part: a hands-on activity that lets the students interact with medicine. Being able to talk to healthcare professionals in a less formal setting gives them the rare opportunity to connect and ask real questions about the field.
Interested in joining? If you’re at least 13 and in high school, you can join too! The key, according to Nithish and Meyta, is to show that you care about helping others. For more information, visit honorhealth.com/community/volunteer-opportunities/teen. If you would like to be notified for when the next application will open, email [email protected]
