Volunteer Profile – Alisha Thapar

Tell Us About Yourself:

I was born in Quesnel, BC and raised in Surrey, BC. Growing up, I enjoyed volunteering with different organizations in my community, including the City of Surrey, Cloverdale Rodeo, and Elim Village. Volunteering at Elim Village, a senior home in my community, sparked my interest in healthcare. I enjoyed being able to help improve the quality of life for others.  As a result of this, I entered nursing school and graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Northern British Columbia. Currently, I am in my 1st year of the Northern Medical Program at UBC. In my free time, I enjoy taking walks in nature, reading books, and doing puzzles.

How did you become involved in the Reading Bear Society?

 I became involved in the Prince George Chapter of the Reading Bear Society in my first few weeks of medical school. I saw a Facebook post asking for volunteers which immediately caught my eye. After signing up for this opportunity and completing the orientation, I was excited to participate in my very first Dr. Bear visit. I have always been passionate about working with children and educating them, especially due to my experience volunteering for day camps at the Surrey Nature Centre. This was my first exposure to volunteering, and I truly enjoyed teaching the children about connecting with the nature around them. After this experience, I became passionate about working with children to improve literacy, which I have been able to do with RBS!

What is your current role with RBS?

I am the co-chair of the Reading Bear Society Prince George Chapter and a volunteer for the Dr. Bear visits.

What is your best memory of RBS?

I have had many fantastic memories of RBS, although my best memory of RBS is during one of the Dr. Bear visits I had with a kindergarten class. I was running the station that involved providing a shot to the bears the students had brought from home. After giving the shot to the teddy bear named “Charlie,” a student started comforting the bear and gave the bear a hug. After doing this, she reassured the bear that having bear breathes would help Charlie feel better. Then, she came up to me and told me that she was no longer worried or scared of getting her shots or going to the doctor’s office. Seeing her confidence grow throughout the visit made this experience memorable, as I knew all the other students had similar experiences. Observing the excitement and joy in the children and seeing their confidence grow during the Dr. Bear visits is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Through this visit, I saw the meaningful impact RBS has had on the children during these visits.