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Ximena Sanchez
VolunTeen - Columbus Fieldhouse
The Importance of Caring | my journey into volunteering

When Ximena Sanchez first moved to Columbus, Nebraska, from Chicago, Illinois, she learned about the importance of resilience and taking risks.

“I was 9 years old when we moved here,” she said. “It was at the beginning of the pandemic, we wanted a change and we had family living here.”

It’s taken Sanchez a while, but the Columbus High School sophomore has found her place in the community — and at Columbus Community Hospital.

Sanchez is one of more than 70 young people who participate in CCH’s VolunTEEN program, an opportunity for teenagers to learn more about healthcare in their community. She first heard about the program during a chance encounter with an emergency room nurse.

“I remember I had to go in to the ER because I was feeling sick,” she said. “A nurse told me about the VolunTEEN program and asked me how old I was. Unfortunately, I wasn’t old enough yet, because I needed to be 14. But it was mostly that nurse who inspired me to start my volunteering career.”

As soon as she turned 14, Sanchez signed up for the program. Now, she volunteers at the Columbus Fieldhouse, helping keep the building clean, checking the girls’ locker room and keeping track of the items in lost and found.

“My favorite aspect of volunteering is being able to positively impact the staff and the guests,” she said. “I enjoy helping people, and it is rewarding to know my efforts help relieve the staff. In the future, I’m hoping to do something in the hospital to be closer to patients.”

Sanchez has lofty goals: She’s thinking of becoming either a dental hygienist or pursuing another healthcare-related job, like a doctor or pharmacist. “When I lived in Chicago,” she said, “my school would have career days, and firefighters and doctors would come. I was drawn to hearing what the doctors had to say about the medical field. I also have some family in healthcare, which sparked my interest.”

“I want to be part of a field that focuses on helping others,” she said. “Volunteering allows me to learn and explore my career options and decide if it is the right path for me.”

At school, Sanchez is involved with Key Club (a service organization) and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). Outside of school, she enjoys reading. “I love reading dystopian books or horror, like Stephen King,” she said. “I also like watching horror movies. I like the feeling that it gives you. But there are some that are really scary, and I have to watch those with my family.”

She also likes to exercise, play soccer and spend time with her family and friends. “I would say I enjoy hanging out with my brother the most,” she said. “He’s 17, and there’s this lake that we go to where we can just talk to each other and play music. It’s really fun.”

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