Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild Awards Scholarship to Five Area Students
Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild has awarded college scholarships of $2,000 each to five Saratoga County high school seniors who plan to pursue careers in healthcare.
The recipients were selected for sharing the Guild’s dedication to education and community involvement.
Three of the students have volunteered at Saratoga Hospital.
Scholarship recipients are:
• Sydney Balzer, a senior at Saratoga Springs High School planning to major in PreMedicine at the University of Tennessee. When Sydney began volunteering at Saratoga Hospital in her junior year, she realized that her true purpose was to help people. She also serves as an intern at Saratoga Dermatology.
• Arissa Gillani, a Saratoga Springs High School student, is planning to major in Biology/Pre-Med at Adelphi University. She has volunteered in hospice care at Glens Falls Hospital and homes for the elderly, connecting with patients who remind her that compassion is an essential skill and medicine is an act of humanity.
• Arden Talmage, a student at Schuylerville High School, plans to major in Psychology at SUNY Geneseo. Her community experiences include sorting donations at The Way, working as a camp counselor at Double H Ranch, and running the children’s theater program at the Schuylerville Public Library.
• Daniel Weed is a senior at Ballston Spa High School and will be attending Desales University and majoring in Physician Assistant Studies. His first-hand experience includes volunteering in the Emergency Department at Saratoga Hospital, as well as seasonal cleanups at St. Mary’s Church, distributing food at the Northeast Regional Foodbank, and being a recycling handler at the Schuylerville American Legion.
• Margaret Zito, another Ballston Spa senior, plans to major in Biology at SUNY Geneseo. Margaret volunteered in the SSOAR Program at Saratoga Hospital, a student summer volunteer program at Saratoga Hospital, and solidified the fact that she wanted to dedicate her future to helping patients and working with others in the medical field.
Since 1990, Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild has awarded yearly scholarships to help support the next generation of healthcare providers.
The 2026 scholarships were announced last week at the Guild’s annual Scholarship and Recognition Dinner, which honors both the recipients and Guild volunteers. Each year Guild members donate thousands of hours in service to the hospital and the community. The Guild also has provided millions of dollars to support Saratoga Hospital facilities, technology and program