Carolina Caring, a regional serious illness provider, is pleased to announce that Brogan Heavner and Ainsley Richardson have been selected as winners of its 2021 VolunTeen Scholarships. These $500 awards recognize young adults who generously give their time and talents to support Carolina Caring’s patients and families. The scholarships are made possible by generous donors.
Brogan has volunteered with Carolina Caring for over a year assisting with administrative projects and as a greeter at the Catawba Valley Hospice House. As a recent graduate of West Lincoln High School in Lincolnton, she was involved in a variety of activities, from women’s varsity tennis team to honors chemistry. “I love helping people,” Brogan says. “Putting a smile on their face is so rewarding.” She plans to attend Mars Hill University to study criminal justice or political science, and aspires to become an attorney to help make a positive difference in the world.
Ainsley has volunteered with Carolina Caring’s Cardinal Kids Program and started its Pen Pal Program. After her younger brother, Nolan, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, she made the decision to attend Davidson College, with a goal of becoming a pediatric neuro-oncologist at St. Jude’s Hospital. “I wanted to volunteer,” Ainsley says, “to help people find the positive out of a negative experience.” She hopes to make a positive impact by helping children through their cancer treatments.
As a recent graduate of University Christian High School in Hickory, Ainsley served as a leader on Student Council and the Debate Team, where she won several debate awards. She was also a member of her school’s Model United Nations, swim team and track team, is an accomplished pianist and an active volunteer at her church.
Carolina Caring’s VolunTeen Program includes 17 young adults ages 14-18 who give back to the community while learning important life lessons. “We’re so proud of these exceptional young women,” says Dave Cook, Carolina Caring President and CEO. “We hope their experience volunteering with Carolina Caring will help to guide them toward a lifelong commitment to serve some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”
To apply for this scholarship, applicants must be teen volunteers at Carolina Caring and accepted to institutions of higher learning.
Carolina Caring, founded in 1979, is an independent, community-based, nonprofit health care provider. It specializes in programs that offer relief from chronic conditions, serious illnesses, and the challenges they bring, including palliative medicine and hospice care for all ages, primary care and grief counseling. Currently, Carolina Caring serves 12 counties across western North Carolina and the Charlotte Region. For more information about Carolina Caring, please call 828.466.0466 or contact us.
