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Sophie Estrada
VolunTeen - General Surgery Department
The Importance of Caring | my journey into volunteering

Ever since Sophie Estrada was a little girl, she has been driven to help others. “I want to help people not just in small ways, but in ways that make a change,” she said. “That is why I want to become a nurse. I have always admired the hard work and dedication nurses show in difficult moments, offering both comfort and care. That is the kind of impact I want to make on the lives of everyone I meet.”

That’s why she signed on to be a VolunTEEN at Columbus Community Hospital. VolunTEENs are students aged 14-18 who help in various departments throughout the hospital after school and on weekends and breaks.

Estrada, who is a high school senior, said she originally wanted to volunteer in the hospital’s radiology department, since that was where she had a job shadowing experience. “However, I was recommended to the general surgery department,” she said, “and I could not have been happier and grateful for the opportunity. I watch what it is like to work in healthcare, and I watch passionate nurses in action.”

As a surgery department volunteer, Estrada organizes paperwork, restocks supplies and takes dirty utensils to be cleaned. “I do my best while performing everything in the short amount of time I am usually there,” she said.

When she’s not volunteering, Estrada loves singing and spending time in the kitchen. “While I was a freshman in high school, I was part of the Neptune’s Angels, an acapella group,” she said. “However, as I grew older and began to work and gain more responsibilities, I unfortunately could not be part of the group anymore. I learned that strength is not about holding on, but letting go and choosing to grow. Although I am not able to spend time in the wonderful group, I am able to enjoy doing other things, including volunteering and spending time with my only brother. My brother and I love baking and working out, always finding a way to learn or try something new together.”

The biggest reason why Estrada wanted to be a VolunTEEN, she said, was because she wanted to make a difference in her community.

“I knew that volunteering at Columbus Community Hospital would help me take my first step into helping and getting to know my community,” she said. “Since then, I have learned a lot about the team and about myself. Volunteering was the best first step that I believe I will ever take toward my future and being able to help the community in any way I can!”

She said she loves making connections with the employees at CCH. “Although I only spend an hour in the general surgery department,” she said, “I try my best to do everything I can to help to the best of my ability. I love trying to get everyone to smile, even if we only exchange hellos.”

To learn more about volunteer opportunities available at the hospital, visit columbushosp.org.