Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild Awards 5 Scholarships

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild has awarded $1,500 scholarships to five area high school seniors pursuing careers in healthcare: Cristina DeMeo of Saratoga Springs, Lauren Fowler of Malta, Ava Herzog of Saratoga Springs, Riane Richard of Clifton Park, and Alexis Sutphin of Queensbury. 

All were selected for their combination of academic achievements, community service, and a desire to pursue a career in healthcare. Four participated in SSOAR: Students Sharing Opportunities and Responsibilities. The summer volunteer program gives area youth an opportunity to gain firsthand experience by providing compassionate customer service in a healthcare environment. 

“These scholarship recipients are remarkable for their determination, dedication, and resilience. They exemplify exactly what we’re looking for in the next generation of healthcare providers,” said Terry White, Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild President. “We are honored to recognize and support their efforts – and play a role in helping them share their gifts with the community.” 

Cristina DeMeo, of Saratoga Springs High School, volunteered with SSOAR and at Glens Falls Hospital throughout high school. She participated in the Summer Fellowship Program of The RNA Institute at the University at Albany and used the knowledge she gained in bioinformatics to create an award-winning project, “A Differential Gene Expression and Alternative Splicing Analysis of ALS-Causing Mutations.” DeMeo will attend Harvard University.

Lauren Fowler, of Ballston Spa High School, participated in the highly selective New Visions Health Careers Exploration Program. She volunteered at an elder care facility and as a SSOAR volunteer in Saratoga Hospital’s Alfred Z. Solomon Emergency Center. Fowler will study nursing at the University of Vermont. 

Ava Herzog, of Saratoga Springs High School, was a volunteer with SSOAR, a junior volunteer at Glens Falls Hospital, a counselor at Camp Invention, and a volunteer at Double H Ranch. She was involved in biology research at Skidmore College and was named a Regeneron Science Talent Search for her project, “The Effect of Retinal Degeneration Mutation rd1 on Circadian Locomotor Activity and Nesting Behavior in Mice.” Herzog will attend Stony Brook University as a student in the Scholars for Medicine B.S./M.D. program. 

Riane Richard, of Shenendehowa High School, volunteered with a variety of community service organizations. Her most significant contributions were to Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany, where she helped visually impaired teens and children during group activities. She also organized video story times during the pandemic. Richard will major in biochemistry at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

Alexis Sutphin, of Queensbury High School, volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and impressed Saratoga Hospital providers during her time as a SSOAR volunteer. One Saratoga Hospital physician cited Sutphin’s commitment, empathy, and positive attitude – wonderful attributes for a future nurse. Sutphin will study nursing at Adirondack Community College. 

Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild has awarded scholarships since 1990 to help high school seniors in the region pursue careers in healthcare.