Gaining Experience Through Giving to Others

Katelyn Hewett is a Salve Regina class of 2022 student with a major in nursing and a minor in Spanish. Hewett is a service advocate at Child and Family, a resident advisor on campus, and is a member of the student nursing organization (SNO).

For the past three years, Katelyn Hewett has been serving the community as a service advocate at Child and Family in Middletown, RI, but her work with children began even earlier.

Prior to attending Salve, Hewett worked as a camp counselor and in other childcare roles at her local YMCA. She wanted to continue working with children while in college, and volunteering at Child and Family was a perfect opportunity to do so. Not only has Hewett been able to continue doing something she loves, but she has also found that her volunteer work has prepared her for life after college.

Hewett’s work at Child and Family have put her in a unique position in which she is able to interact closely with children, people she hopes to help in the future. “I eventually want to become a pediatric nurse practitioner, so Child and Family has also given me even more experience working with children of all different ages, especially really young kids,” Hewett shares.

As a nursing major and a resident advisor, Hewett’s days are full of studying and commitments–but she always makes time to volunteer.

“A lot of people think it’s hard to find time to volunteer,” Hewett shares. “I think if you’re passionate about something, you can easily make time for it. Volunteering does not have to be something big; a small act can really go a long way, especially within a community like Newport.”

Not only is Katelyn Hewett a perfect example of how volunteering can connect to our future goals, but her words and actions inspire us to make time to lend a helping hand.