Talawanda seniors win first Rotary Club hospital internships
Program created to give Oxford-area youth new career opportunities.
OXFORD — Two Talawanda High School students will be going to the hospital for summer break, and they couldn’t be happier about it.
The two seniors are the first winners of the Oxford Rotary Club’s new health care summer internship program.
The paid internships will allow Taonanyasha Banda and Daniel Sawdei to explore and expand on their early interests in medical careers while working at McCullough-Hyde/Tri-Health Hospital.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Sawdei, who plans to study as a bio-chem major starting in the fall at Ohio State University.
“I’ve grown up in a family that works in the medical field, so I have a natural interest and thought
this would be a great summer opportunity and a good way to learn and later impact the community in a positive way,” he said.
That’s one of the main reasons the Rotary Club created the internships.
Given the growing importance of global quality healthcare, Oxford Rotary officials said they were seeking to create healthcare career opportunities for Oxfordarea youth.
The selection process included a Zoom information session for students, parents and Talawanda High School personnel, followed by a detailed application process, according to a statement released by club officials.
The final step of the internship selection process involved personal interviews resulting in the selection of the two outstanding students who both have a deep interest in pursuing a healthcare career. The Oxford Rotary funded the project with funds generated by its community Stars and
Stripes Flag Program with a generous grant from Rotary District 6670, they said.
The two soon-to-be graduates will work eight weeks at the hospital, rotating through different departments at McCullough-Hyde or choosing a single area of specific interest such as radiology, oncology, surgery, facilities management or pharmacy. Students will be mentored by a TriHealth Education Specialist and on-site Rotarian and supported by the TriHealth Human Resources team.
Banda, who will be attending the University of Dayton in the fall, said she’s long been interested in a medical career and helping others.
“I was so excited when I heard I was chosen. I’m looking forward to communicating with the patients,” said Banda, who plans to study to become a cardio-thoracic or a pediatric surgeon.
“And I’m really looking forward to talking with the surgeons about how they went about starting their careers,” she said.