Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society Awards Scholarships

LATROBE, PA, June 1, 2023… The Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society honors high school students for their volunteer efforts on behalf of Independence Health System and Latrobe Hospital with scholarship assistance.

           Recipients are required to accrue a minimum of 150 hours from age 16 when volunteering begins until April 1 of their senior year and must be planning to attend an institution of higher learning. Students with the highest number of accrued volunteer hours are selected. In 2023, three students share $5,000 in scholarship funds.  The scholarships were presented by Sally Anne Novak, LAHAS president and Romayne Schwartzel, LAHAS Junior Volunteer Scholarship chair.

Receiving scholarships were Cynthia “Layne” Barr, Avery Massaro and Lauren Shaffer.

           Cynthia “Layne” Barr, 18, received a $2,500 scholarship, having accumulated 279 volunteer hours over the past two years at the hospital front desk. An active volunteer elsewhere in her community, she plans to attend Sarah Lawrence College in New York State, majoring in International Rights Relations and Journalism.  A virtual high school student, the teen’s parents are Latrobe Hospital Emergency Department physician Dr. Lisa Barr and Dustin Barr of Ligonier.

           Avery K. Massaro, 17, was awarded $1,500 after accumulating 157 volunteer hours at the hospital front desk over the past 10 months. Active in many sports and arts activities at Greater Latrobe High School, she plans to attend Duquesne University where she will pursue studies to become a Physician Assistant.  She is the daughter of Kathryn and Joseph Massaro of Latrobe.

           Lauren E Shaffer is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship, after serving 153 volunteer hours at Latrobe Hospital while supporting a nursing care team and an education special project.  A member of several honor societies and activities at Greater Latrobe High School, the 18-year-old will be attending Seton Hill University where she plans on pursuing a Master of Science Degree in the Physician Assistant Program.  She is the daughter of Traci and Russell Shaffer of Latrobe.

          Teens age 16 or older are invited to learn more about volunteer opportunities at Independence Health System and Latrobe Hospital by contacting Dolan Vogle at 724-537-1357 or jvogle@excelahealth.org.

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Independence Health System offers patients nationally recognized quality care in cardiology, orthopedics, palliative care, and maternity as well as a broad range of surgical, medical, emergency, and behavioral health services, and an extensive network of primary care physicians. With five hospitals, nearly 1,000 healthcare providers and more than 7,000 employees, Independence Health System serves a 10-county region and is the largest employer in Butler and Westmoreland counties.

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