In a reality often overshadowed by the inevitability of loss, Millburn High School junior Zara Doshi finds unexpected beauty in hospice care volunteering, discovering how the power of connection can transform grief into a life of purpose.

“I have always felt a deep pull toward patient care,” Doshi says. “There’s something about being present for someone when they need it most that just felt natural to me.”

That instinct found a path for Doshi at just 13 years old, when she became the youngest volunteer at Grace Healthcare Services, one of New Jersey’s largest hospice providers. In 2025, she was named Volunteer of the Year. Although recognition was never the point, what stayed with her were the patients—their stories, their loneliness, and the often-invisible emotional weight of aging.

As a freshman, Doshi founded the Hospice Club at Millburn High School, an unusual move for a ninth grader and even more unusual in its subject matter. “I wanted to highlight how we tend to forget about our elderly,” she explains. “Despite everything they’ve done for us, there’s often a lack of respect and visibility when it’s our turn to take care of them.”

The club quickly grew, both in membership and in purpose. Through guest speakers, student initiatives, and outreach, Doshi created a space where conversations about death, dignity, and care were explored openly.

She also brought those ideas to Millburn’s Speech and Debate team, delivering original oratory speeches about what she calls the “hidden dangers of the modern elderly loneliness epidemic.” “Holding a patient’s hand through hospice is a powerful way to reduce isolation and restore dignity,” she says.

A Community Movement

What began as a school club soon expanded beyond campus. Doshi leaned into community partnerships, organizing fundraisers and awareness campaigns that connected local businesses, families, and students. She coordinated bake sales, invited professional speakers, and partnered with local fitness studio F45 for a fundraiser that raised $900.

She also organized Millburn’s first community-wide raffle fundraiser. “I spent weeks going into downtown Millburn, introducing myself, and following up,” she recalls. “In the end, it was incredibly meaningful to see so many local businesses come together for a community-centered cause.”

The effort paid off, raising over $750 for hospice patients and their families, but more importantly, it shifted awareness. The event is still talked about among students months later, a sign that Doshi’s work is sticking.

Her most ambitious project came this year hosting a Hospice Awareness Panel at the Millburn Board of Education Center. Featuring nurses, a social worker, a volunteer coordinator, and a spiritual counselor, the event aimed to demystify end-of-life care. “I wanted to expand the conversation beyond students,” Doshi says. “To create a space where families could learn and ask questions openly.”

More than 30 attendees attended the event, ranging from high schoolers to parents and neighbors. For Doshi, it marked a turning point. “I was overwhelmed at first,” she says. “But by the end of the evening, I felt a strong sense of pride in what I had built.”

Redefining Hospice

For all the organizing and advocacy, Doshi is clear that what matters most are the patients themselves. She keeps a personal “hospice journal,” documenting moments that are often small but deeply affecting: a woman in her 90s sharing stories of her husband’s survival during the Holocaust, a 100-year-old former engineer who worked on the Manhattan Project, a Spanish-speaking patient who greeted her with warmth and familiarity. “She would call out, ‘Hola, ven aqui!’ every time I passed,” Doshi says. “I’d tell her how beautiful she looked, ask if she was in pain, and we’d talk about her family. She would pull me into a hug and kiss my forehead and hands.”

One relationship, though, stands atthe center of Doshi’s journey: Ms. Ruth,an 85-year-old patient living with late-stage dementia. Over two years, Doshi and her father visited Ms. Ruth regularly, witnessing the joy and the disorientation that defined her days. “On her good days, she was the happiest, funniest woman,” says Doshi, whose journal captures flashes of Ms. Ruth’s humor and clarity—a wink, a joke, a sudden burst of affection. “Once she whispered, ‘Oh, I really love you,’ while holding my hand,” Doshi shares.

But there were also harder moments; days when confusion turned into fear. “One time, she started shaking and crying, begging me to stay,” Doshi says. “Holding her hand through those moments changed me. It expanded my empathy in a way I can’t fully describe.”

Even now, reminders of Ms. Ruth linger—in her favorite chocolate-chip cookies, songs, and everyday details. “I carry her with me daily,” Doshi says.

Expanded Horizons

Doshi’s experiences have shaped not just her worldview but her ambitions. Exposure to neurodegenerative diseases sparked a growing interest in neuroscience, leading her to participate in research programs and publish work on Parkinson’s disease. She’s considering a future in public health, with plans to become a physician, someone who can bridge direct patient care with broader systemic change. “I want to ensure everyone receives the quality of care they deserve,” she says.

This summer, Doshi will take another step toward that goal through an internship with Grace Healthcare Services, working alongside a full care team and gaining a deeper understanding of how hospice functions on a systems level.

Still, as she looks ahead, Doshi remains focused on what she’s built in her community. She’s already planning for the future of the Hospice Club, expanding outreach, strengthening partnerships, and preparing new leaders to take over when she graduates. Her work is about continuity of care, compassion, and showing up. And sometimes it’s as simple as sitting beside someone, reaching for their hand, and staying.

Photograph courtesy of Zara Doshi