Alexis Perras has spent four summers finding her place in a hospital — not as a patient, but as a volunteer determined to understand how health care really works.
A recent graduate of Middle College at Austin Peay State University, Perras got her start helping her parents, both health care professionals, teach Hands-Only CPR to youth groups throughout Montgomery County. That early exposure led her to Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital’s VolunTeen program, where she has rotated through departments across the hospital, gravitating especially toward patient care areas.
This summer, her final one as a VolunTeen, Perras is serving in surgical services and the emergency department before heading to Austin Peay State University with sophomore standing. She plans to major in health and human performance with a concentration in public health, with medical school on the horizon.
“I volunteer because I enjoy helping my community,” Perras said. “Being part of a team and seeing a patient smile when I can make their stay a little easier is incredibly rewarding.”
The experience, she said, has shaped how she thinks about a future in medicine.
“Volunteering has helped prepare me for a career in health care,” Perras said. “While my responsibilities are not clinical, I’ve gained valuable insight into how a hospital operates and how health care professionals work together to care for patients.”
From candy stripers to VolunTeens: A uniform changes, a mission doesn’t
Perras is one of 33 students who is volunteering at VCH this summer through a program with deep roots at the Clarksville hospital. For nearly 60 years, young people have supported patients, visitors and staff there. The tradition began in 1966 with the candy striper program, part of a nationwide movement that introduced teenagers to health care careers. Named for their distinctive red-and-white striped uniforms, candy stripers assisted with patient care activities, delivered water to patients, and supported hospital operations — and in its inaugural year, 150 local teens signed up, many hoping to pursue nursing careers themselves.
The uniforms are gone, but the spirit behind them isn’t. Established in its current form in the mid-1990s, the VolunTeen program continues that legacy, giving young men and women the chance to serve in both clinical and support departments while getting a firsthand look at the range of careers health care has to offer.
Reflecting on their summer, this year’s participants identified several key lessons:
- Health care offers a wide variety of career opportunities.
- Effective patient care depends on teamwork.
- Hospital volunteering develops skills such as time management, communication, patience and compassion.
- Every role contributes to the hospital’s overall success, regardless of department or title.
VCH President Randy Davis, MBA, sees the program as a win for everyone involved.
“Having VolunTeens in the hospital each summer benefits both our community’s youth and our organization,” Davis said. “Participants gain firsthand exposure to health care careers while providing meaningful support to patients and visitors. The VolunTeen program is a win-win.”
Applications for the Clarksville VolunTeen program open each spring and are announced through local media and community outreach channels. For more information about adult volunteer opportunities with Vanderbilt Health, visit www.vanderbilthealth.com/information/volunteer-vanderbilt.
