In honor of National Volunteer Week (April 15 - 21, 2018), we’re highlighting some of our volunteers and celebrating their service to REHAB and their efforts in helping to rebuild lives together.
Meet Cheyenne
Cheyenne has been an athlete her entire life. She played softball for Mililani High School, and continued to play when she moved to California To attend Notre Dame De Namur University. Playing softball is where her inspiration to pursue a career in physical therapy and athletic training first started. “I was an athlete and was injured often,” says Cheyenne.
After graduating from college with a degree in Kinesiology, Cheyenne decided to gain more exposure to the field of physical therapy, experiencing what different clinical settings had to offer. In her quest for more experience and exposure, she sought out volunteering. Cheyenne consulted with friends and family about recommendations for volunteer options, but it was her neighbor, who is a nurse, that encouraged her to volunteer at REHAB.
Volunteering at REHAB has been nothing short of amazing for Cheyenne. She’s able to gain exposure to the world of physical therapy in an inpatient rehabilitation facility by shadowing a Physical Therapist Assistant. “The staff is super friendly and engaging. It’s awesome being able to talk to other volunteers who are in the same situation as me and talk about how to accomplish post-graduate goals.”
Cheyenne loves being a part of the patients’ journey, observing therapy sessions and seeing them get better. She gets to encourage patients to keep going when their struggling and be a visual guide of how their body should be positioned or moving during their treatment. She can physically see the changes in their body’s mobility and function and it makes her feel inspired to be a part of that. “If you’re thinking about volunteering at REHAB, do it. It will provide you with the opportunity to interact with people and help patients as they rebuild their lives with rehabilitation.”
To learn more about volunteering at REHAB, visit https://www.rehabhospital.org/volunteer.