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Fair Student volunteers at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside earn scholarships
Seven graduating class of 2020 seniors were recently recognized by Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside with the Dorothy M. Sharer scholarship for their selfless service as junior volunteers.
The honorees included:
Thomas Musto, East Rockaway High School
Krista Baumann, West Hempstead High School
Reian Daniels, Valley Stream North High School
Richard Smocer, MacArthur High School in Wantagh
Doug Mandel, Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway in Woodmere
Roshan Torbati, Hewlett High School
Zoe Long, St. Anthony’s High School in Huntington
The students have combined to volunteer 1,560 hours of service to the mission and vision of MSSN. The late Sharer was a devoted and beloved volunteer at the hospital for more than 33 years and over 30,000 hours. Recipients of the scholarship emulate her trait of serving others through volunteerism, while demonstrating a desire to pursue degrees in higher education that would prepare them for careers in health care.
“From the moment they started volunteering to this very day, Krista, Reian, Zoe, Doug, Thomas, Richard and Roshan have been the essence of this most honorable award,” said Anne Marie Fernandez, MSSN’s director of volunteer services. “On behalf of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s staff and board of directors, I thank them for their dedicated work in support of the hospital and its patients.”
Musto has logged 255 hours of service since joining the volunteer staff in November 2017. Primarily a lobby greeter and messenger, he impressed hospital security guards with his quick action and helpfulness, regardless of the request. He plans to enter the Nassau Community College/Empire State College dual-enrollment nursing program in the fall.
A volunteer since November 2017, Baumann has logged 142 hours of service while serving in the admitting department and participating in the hospital’s Nurses 2B program. She plans to study psychology at Florida Southern College in the fall.
Daniels joined the volunteer staff in May 2017. She has logged 161 hours of volunteer service, primarily serving in maternity, pediatrics, and radiology units. She plans to major in pharmacology at St. John’s University.
Credited with being among the junior volunteers that helped launch the “Painting with Patients” program, Long has been a volunteer since November 2017, logging 205 hours of service. In addition to serving as a morning greeter in the hospital’s main lobby, she has served in the Transitional Care, F1 and Maternity units. She plans to attend Emory University in Atlanta this fall.
Mandel has been a volunteer since December 2017, and has logged 272 hours of volunteer service with a special emphasis on SIBSPlace, a behavioral health service affiliated with MSSN that serves children who are coping with parents or siblings with devastating illnesses.. Mandel, who plans to attend SUNY Binghamton in the fall in pursuit of a medical degree, tutored and organized activities and games for SIBSPlace children and assisted with greeting and escorting patients in the hospital, while performing various tasks in the hospital’s outpatient rehabilitation center.
A volunteer since November 2018, Smocer has logged 380 hours, volunteering primarily on D2West Unit. Mr. Smocer has been a welcome addition to the unit, answering phones, round on patients, answering call bells and performing a variety of duties as needed. He has also served in External Affairs, assisted with the annual Flu Shot Pod, helped host junior volunteer orientation and trained new junior volunteers for work on patient care units. He plans to study nursing at Molloy College in the fall.
Always willing to help with a smile where needed, whether as a messenger or Maternity Unit assistant, Torbati, has been a volunteer since May 2018, totaling 145 hours of service. She was also instrumental in the starting of the “Painting with Patients” program. Torbati plans to study nursing at Molloy College in the fall.
