Emily Webster, Nu’21

During my freshman year at Penn, I joined Community Champions, a service-based organization. I was extremely excited to begin working with Community Champions and, in particular, the Young Quakers initiative.

Young Quakers (YQ) is an after-school program that teaches West Philadelphia schoolchildren sport skills and nutrition awareness.

Although I am not an athlete at Penn, I still participated in the girl’s lacrosse and track programs as well as led nutrition education sessions.

Participating in Community Champions and Young Quakers for the past 4 years has been an extremely impactful experience. The children at YQ are resilient, energetic, creative, and honest.

Attending the Young Quakers session each week was the highlight of my schedule! After a long day of lecture and lab, I was grateful for the opportunity to interact with these amazing kids.

Even after a difficult day, they reminded me why I wanted to become a pediatric nurse, which is to ensure that children have a healthy and happy lifestyle despite battling illness or other tough situations.

While the Young Quakers might have thought that I was there to help them, it was ultimately the kids who taught me so many lessons regarding trust, resiliency, and strength, which will forever impact my nursing practice.

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