82 Students Complete the 2026 Athena Institute Premed Hospice Volunteer Program
Now in its 19th year, the Athena Institute Premed Hospice Volunteer Program, led by Rev. Dr. Graham Robinson, continues to connect pre-med students with local hospices to explore the spirituality, humanity, and unique needs of end-of-life care.
This year, the program welcomed 112 pre-med students from nine colleges and universities: Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, Davidson, Haverford, Princeton, Pittsburgh, Swarthmore, Muhlenberg, and Villanova. 82 Students completed all of the program requirements and received certificates of completion.
A highlight of this year’s program has been the resilience and empathy demonstrated by students as they engaged with patients, including those with dementia or limited ability to communicate. Through patient meetings and weekly interactions, students discovered the value of presence, listening, and building relationships. Many nurses also reported noticeable improvements in patients’ moods following student visits.
Students’ final reflection essays captured the impact of the experience. As one Villanova student shared, "What began as an effort to confront uncertainty quickly became one of the most meaningful experiences of my college years." Across the board, students described personal growth, deepened compassion, and the realization that small acts of attention and care can make a profound difference for patients and their families.
Students in the Haverford College Cohort 2026
This year’s essays (and those from prior years) are available here.
The Program Director, Reverend Dr. Graham Robinson
Reverend Dr. Graham Robinson has overseen the expansion of the program since 2011. He brings exceptional educational, spiritual, and leadership skills and twenty years of pastoral and teaching experience. Robinson has served as a guest lecturer and facilitator for Yale Divinity School, Hartford Seminary, and the Alban Institute, and he has been invited to preach from Oregon to Puerto Rico, and Washington state to Washington, D.C. Doctor of Ministry 2012, Columbia Theological Seminary; Master of Theology 1999, Master of Divinity 1993, Princeton Theological Seminary. Identified upon graduation as a leader within the church, Robinson was awarded the David B. Watermulder Prize for Church Leadership from Princeton Theological Seminary