Squashbusters Career Night: A Smash Hit for VA Providence Staff

A team of enthusiastic volunteers gathered for a high school “Career Night” at SquashBusters, a community-based organization on Hope Street in Providence.

Volunteers included Nick Sanjuan, Madison Gravel, and Jordan Anderson from Clinical Engineering, Michael Norde, MSW, LCISW from Patient Experience, Sue Boyd, Clinical Manager of Nutrition and Food Services, Rachael Caiati, MD from Radiology, and Kwiese Lillard, MD from Surgery shared their career journeys. They answered students’ questions to help them visualize some of the myriad options in healthcare. Hands-on workshops included lessons in anatomy, reading x-rays, performing ultrasound exams, defibrillator and vital signs monitor function, sports drink nutrition trivia, wound suturing, blood draw, and IV placement.

This VA volunteer team stayed well into the evening to tour the facility, share stories with the students, and introduce them to compelling medical skills, all in the face of the first week of the Washington Bridge closure.

These volunteers had a real impact on very interested and engaged students. This outreach to high school students is foundational to building an inclusive and diverse VA here in Providence that values equity and access and is free of discrimination.

Then, during the last week of January, the SquashBusters Providence High School Teams traveled to NYC, where they competed on the Glass Court in Grand Central Station in the Squash and Education Alliance (SEA) New England High School Championships. The Boys’ Team won the 2024 SEA League Championship. The Girls’ Team finished 3rd in the league.

Both teams traveled to Philly the following weekend to compete in the Urban Team National Championship at the Spector US Squash Center. The SqB PVD boys placed second, and the girls placed fourth.