Fourth-year George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) MD student Simone Bernstein has been recognized in her hometown of St. Louis as one of the 2019 St. Louis Women of Achievement. She earned the recognition for her commitment to youth empowerment and volunteerism.
The St. Louis Women of Achievement Award is the oldest, ongoing program in the St. Louis metropolitan area whose sole mission is to honor and recognize the volunteer service and leadership of women.
“I am excited about being an honoree among so many incredible women,” Bernstein said. “It’s amazing to see the breadth of the work these women are involved in, and I am honored to be one of them this year.”
When she was 12-years-old, Bernstein’s father was deployed in the military and she experienced the incredible support of the community who watched over and helped her family. Inspired to give back, she and her younger brother, pursued volunteer opportunities at local organizations, but found many would not accept youth volunteers. “Many organizations said we were too young to volunteer,” she said.
Bernstein and her brother did identify a number of local organizations who saw the value of youth volunteerism. Together they launched St. Louis VolunTEEN, a regional online database to connect St. Louis youth with volunteer opportunities in the region, and soon after expanded the nonprofit organization nationally. VolunTEEN Nation has since connected more than one million youth to volunteer opportunities across the country, with more than 7,500 opportunities listed.
Following graduation from SMHS, Bernstein will begin her psychiatry residency at Washington University in St. Louis.
“I’m excited to continue my work, especially in my hometown and the field of psychiatry,” said Bernstein. “I want to continue encouraging people to volunteer and realize the potential positive impact on themselves and on organizations.”
Bernstein, along with fellow honorees, was recognized at the 2019 Women of Achievement Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis on May 14.
