Maxwell Shore, a sophomore at The Woodlands High School, has recently been recognized for his achievements in community service and volunteering.
On August 13, 2025, Mrs. Baker presented Shore with the Barbara James Service Award and the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award. The Barbara James Service Award is in memory of the 1982-83 HOSA board member, Barbara James. It celebrates members 11-15 years old who have completed 50 hours of health-related community service.
The AmeriCorps Organization grants this award to individuals, families, or groups who meet the requirements in a 12-month period. Mrs. Baker–the advisor of HOSA at The Woodlands High School and the teacher of Career and Health Sciences who helps students learn and compete for these awards–was more than happy to present Shore the Barbara James Service Award and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.
Shore started volunteering in October of 2024 as a way to qualify for HOSA awards and give back to the community. Using a website called Volunteer Match, Shore was matched with a hospice program at Vitas Healthcare. He chose hospice because it “[felt] more meaningful” since he’s “directly interacting with the patients” and “impacting their lives.”
In total, Shore has accumulated 300 volunteer hours. In the facility at Vitas, he provides emotional support to the patients, which includes listening to their stories and having conversations with them. As a minor, Shore mentions how “restrictive” his opportunities are, so he plans to continue volunteering in the future because he finds it “refreshing to give back to people and the community.”
Over the past summer, Shore was one of three students from TWHS to be chosen for the Texas Children’s Junior Program–a program that is conducted through Texas Children’s Hospital–where students ages 15 through 17 get the opportunity to learn how the biggest children’s hospital in the U.S. operates.
The application process is quite extensive. First, applicants submit a written application. If approved, they move on to the group interview with 46 other people, the last round includes a one-on-one interview. Once accepted into the program, chosen applicants are assigned a variety of tasks: “giving tea to the hospital staff, [helping in the] playroom with the kids, taking hospital supplies to different areas, and [moving around] crash carts…the cart they bring out to come resurrect [patients].”
Shore’s personal favorite was the playroom because he “got to interact with the kids.” Gaining experience in the medical field has prepared Shore for his plans to go to medical school, and eventually to go into geriatrics (providing healthcare to elderly patients).
Shore’s exceptional character extends beyond volunteer work. Long before Shore’s volunteer experience began, he collected other awards for his academic work. In 7th and 8th grade, Shore represented McCollough Junior High at the state science fair (ISEF) and at Texas A&M for his work in Aerospace Engineering. His 7th-grade project was on “how different wing shapes affect the lift [of a plane] and how maneuverable [its] wings are.” Shore continued working on aerospace the following year with his project on “how different nozzles on jet engines affect the thrust and how it moves.” He mentions that he was “nervous” and “terrified” at first–but as time went on, and he got acclimated to “[presenting] in front of multiple judges, it [got] better.”
Throughout his work, Shore reflects that he “[could have gone] to the hospice and…[sat] there,” but he wouldn’t have “[gotten as] much out of it.” When pursuing interests, Shore reminds us that “you get out as much as you put in,” and his story reminds many others that their dreams are possible if they just put their mind to it.
