o-Rena Davis was selected as this year?s Head Striper at the annual Candy Striping Awards Ceremony in June. Her strong qualities in leadership, responsibility and commitment to service earned her the position.

And now she has the role of helping the Candy Striper Chairperson supervise the volunteers.

At the ceremony, Stripers were also presented with pins for having earned 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 300 and more hours of service and senior Stripers were chosen as well.

Although 17-year-old Jo-Rena was a senior Striper last year, she said being the Head Striper is definitely more of a challenge and a greater responsibility.

?It would be because you have to know a lot and be good at everything you do ? like you would in any leadership role.?

She is honoured to have received this award.

?That?s like the furthest you can go and I strive at everything I do. I always wanted it so I worked hard and I got it.?

Jo-Rena, who is interested in teaching but also enjoys art and media, said: ?I think, after my career is up and running, I want to be an Evangelist and go to another country to help people.?

This sense of selflessness is something she seems to have acquired during her experience volunteering at the hospital. Of working in her preferred areas: the maternity ward and Continuing Care Unit (CCU), she said: ?To be working along with them (the patients) gives them more of a sense of security and shows that there are people in the hospital that really care. And we aren?t getting paid but this is something that we like to do ? we?re volunteers.?

She commented on the scepticism young people often have when it comes to dealing with the older generation. ?A lot of times people think . But most of the older people were really nice, some might snap at times but in general it?s not the boring environment some people may think it is. Considering they are in hospital they are actually usually very upbeat.?

In fact, 18-year-old Bryce Williams, who was last year?s Head Striper, said he particularly enjoyed feeding the old folks in the Continuing Care Unit (CCU). ?I like old people a lot. I don?t know, I just find them loveable. They do so much for our community so I feel that it?s only right that we give back to them.?

He said, being a Pink Panther (which is the name given to the male Stripers), is ?an experience of a life time?.

?I enjoyed the opportunities which it allowed me to further my leadership and communication skills. Many times I was put in situations which required those skills and slowly but surely, by being put in those situations, those skills were worked upon and have developed.?

Jo-Rena said: ?Apart from learning how to make coffee you meet a lot of interesting people.?

She described herself as ?quiet, but not shy? and said being a Candy Striper and working in areas such as thecaf?enhanced her social skills.

?You?re working with people of every background.?

She gave an example.

?There was this one time when I was working by myself doing wards and there was a man ? a patient ? who didn?t speak English. A nurse told me he was Hispanic. My old Spanish teacher Mrs. Shanee Grant was volunteering as a Pink Lady, so I went downstairs before she left and she was able to go upstairs and assist the man.?

Jo-Rena said that incident taught her about team work. ?Networking and having good people skills plays a big and important part. By me having a good relationship with my Spanish teacher and being able to call on her, I was able to find out what food the man really wanted and not just let him have whatever the nurses were going to give him ? which is what happened before. Mrs. Grant was the only one who could understand him and as she always said ? people should eat what they want?.?

So what?s the difference between the role of a Pink Panther and the role of a Candy Striper? Bryce, who has been a Pink Panther for about four years, said they are more or less the same. ?We both get assigned the same jobs.?

Would he recommend the programme to other males? ?Definitely.? Though he admitted that he wasn?t too excited about it when he first started out.

?I was like: but I ended up enjoying it. It just goes to show that your attitude takes you a long way. If you have a positive outlook on life, that?s what you end up reaping.?

Jo-Rena described the programme as ?something positive to do?.

?It gives you a chance to work with other members of the community, an opportunity to see and experience parts of the hospital that the average person wouldn?t, gain knowledge of the hospital and if you?re interested in a career in the hospital it?s a good place to learn.?

Alana Wade, who was also selected as Deputy Head Striper along with Charee Butterfield, has received the annual $5,000 Education Award for post-secondary studies. She was picked as a result of her commitment to community service and academic achievement.

Eighteen-year-old Alana is in her third and final year of the Candy Striping programme and has enjoyed every moment of it, especially ?working on the wards?. She said she decided to venture into this form of community service because she wanted to ?experience different things?.

On her new role as Deputy Head Striper, she said: ?I have to make sure that everybody is doing what they?re supposed to do, set a good example for the rest of them (the Stripers) and train the new ones.?

Ms Wade, who never had a doubt about joining the Candy Striper programme, echoed Bryce and Jo-Rena when she said she would recommend it to anyone, ?because they can meet new people and broaden their horizons by learning things that have to do with the hospital and become more involved in the community?.

?I?ve learned that not everybody is as fortunate as I am and everyoneneeds to be cared for and looked after.?

Although she will be over the maximum age of a Candy Striper in December, she may just continue her hospital service as a pink lady.

Alana, who is a proud 2006 Bermuda Institute (BI) graduate, is looking forward to attending the Bermuda College this autumn. ?I think it?s a very important step to graduate from high school because you?ve actually made it ? you?re half way there.? She will begin her studies in early childhood development.

?I love working with children.?

Jo-Rena will enter her final year at Mount St. Agnes in September and Bryce, who recently graduated from Warwick Academy, is off to France on Rotary Exchange in August.

Individuals interested in becoming a Striper are advised to fill out an application at the age of twelve because there is a two year waiting list.