Sydney Soderholm Hudson is considering a career in special education, but wanted some direct experience before committing to a college major.
She spent the summer before her senior year in high school volunteering five days a week with LifeScape’s Students in Action Volunteer Program. For nearly eight weeks, she rotated through different programs, learning about different service areas. She has volunteered in our Specialty Hospital, our Autism & Child Development Center, with older students in our Pathways Specialty School, and with younger students in our Special Education School. She helped with various projects, including demonstrating to new outpatient staff how to prep and clean for therapy sessions, working directly with students on assignments, and supporting a student in music class. She also created a craft cart for patients in our specialty hospital.
“From the beginning, Sydney was organized, compassionate, articulate, and ready to jump in to each volunteer environment,” says Volunteer Coordinator Becky Sluiter. “As a volunteer mentor, Sydney was engaged and offered positive interactions for impactful learning opportunities for all. Sydney was the driver of her volunteer experiences and took on the leadership to learn her roles in each setting which helped her discover her inner passions for her future career path. Volunteering is a win-win opportunity for everyone.”
Syd is from Centennial, CO, and has stayed with her grandparents in Sioux Falls while completing this program. She enjoyed her time, learned a lot, and says she’ll miss the children she worked with. She says she would like to come back and work for LifeScape one day. “This opportunity gave me a glimpse into what I could be and allowed me to meet so many amazing people along the way,” says Sydney.
The Students in Action Volunteer Program at helps students build their medical resumes, as well as providing experience in different disciplines. It requires college or older high school students to commit to 8 weeks of three- to four-hour shifts each week during the summer months. Applications are due May 20th each year. For more information on this program, contact Volunteer Coordinator Becky Sluiter at Rebecca.Sluiter@LifeScapeSD.org or 605.333.9621.
