This week’s Farmer Focus is on junior Varnika Kumar, who helped create a club with her sister dedicated to helping the next generation of healthcare leaders be more prepared.
SNAPSHOTS
Secret talent: I can draw upside down
Favorite genre of music: Country
A food you dislike: Tofu
Preferred fashion style: Peplum bows and lace top
Way to spend your free time: Learning about nursing and healthcare
ZOOMING IN
Q: How did you get the idea to start the club?
A: “The name of the club is Hands of Care Initiative, and my sister Vartika Kumar and I got the idea to start it after we visited a couple of rehabilitation facilities. When I was spending time with my grandfather, I often saw how nurses and different kinds of healthcare workers used to collaborate. So I did some research and found out that right now, most of the universities spend less than five percent of their time on real clinical experiences, so I wanted to solve the problem by giving exposure to students early on.”
Q: What is the club about?
A: “Hands of Initiative is exactly what it sounds like. I started last year when I went for a Valentine’s Day event to a rehabilitation center where I spent time with the residents. We painted their hands, did some crafts and just spent time with them. I plan to bring the community’s most isolated residents with the most motivated youth together. We plan to meet at least once a month during summer. The time depends on the rehabilitation center we will visit because they have different visiting hours, but it will be in the Dallas FortWorth area.”
Q: How will it benefit students interested in the medical field?
A: “This club will benefit anyone who wants to do healthcare because the most important thing when you’re a healthcare worker is not just health, you also have to focus on the care aspect of it. You need to know how to care for a patient because when a patient is sick, it does not affect just them and their health. It affects the people who love them. When a person comes into the hospital, they’re going to really miss their home. You need to be careful, mindful and have empathy, along with soft skills.”
Q: What experiences do you have?
A: “Most of my experience comes from real-life exposure. I have spent a lot of days, a lot of weeks, at least a year at a rehab center when my grandfather had his brain surgery and went to several rehabs. I have seen all of this very closely. I’m also in Health Occupations Students of America and have talked to so many professionals. I’ve noticed how they all pointed out that holistic care is really missing.”
Q: How has this club been promoted?
A: “This club took at least a week of research. I wrote everything in my diary, made a framework, and built Instagram for it and started posting. The majority of the promotion has been through Instagram, and now I am planning to print out some flyers and give it to people who attend HOSA meetings.”
Q: What do you hope to accomplish?
A: “I hope to help the next generation of healthcare leaders be more prepared when they go outside and get a real job, so that they don’t fear interacting with patients.”
Q: What obstacles do you expect and how will you overcome them?
A: “The major obstacle for me is getting more facilities to sponsor me because right now, we are on a lower scale and we’re trying to build it up. Luckily for me, most of their centers and rehabs are really kind and they’re actually looking for young volunteers who are willing to spend time with their residents.”
Q: How do you want to lead the club?
A: “Leadership is something that really inspires me because it involves a lot of service, and I like spending time with the community. I have volunteered a lot in the past few years and completed around 60 hours of community service. I’m also applying for vice president of National Honor Society because I really want to bring our community closer and benefit students as much as I can. When I joined this school, I found people to look up to, so I want to be that person for everyone else.”
Q: What do you hope to do after high school?
A: “After high school, I plan to do nursing and have a degree in anesthesia.”
