The GLS Injury Report – Episode 1

We have Attorney T.J. Sabatino, Chris Larson, and Anthony Georgelis, all three of them attorneys here.

Why GLS Injury Law Started a Podcast

Tony, you started the firm 25 years ago. You’re now the managing partner. Why, after all this time, are we starting a podcast? Well, good afternoon, Heather. Um, stating the obvious, nobody wants to get into an accident, but the unfortunate reality is that they happen all the time, and any one of us could find ourselves in that situation.

There are certain things that, um, people should know and certain things they can do preemptively to be as prepared as possible if an accident does occur. And then obviously following an accident, there are a ton of questions that arise and a lot of advice and guidance that needs to be given. Uh, this podcast, uh, gives us a forum to address the issues and questions that arise in workers’ compensation and accident cases, um, in a, what I consider to be a, uh, pressure-free and, and relaxed atmosphere.

And what I mean by that is somebody doesn’t need to schedule a formal appointment at a law office and sit down with an attorney. They can access our podcasts anytime, anywhere, um, and, um, casually review the information that we present. Um, the podcast format also allows us to do, um, a deep dive into the topics that, that we talk about, um We can really give, um, a thorough analysis and the, uh, detailed and specific answers to questions that we really couldn’t do in, say, a 30-second commercial or a social media post.

So the bottom line is we felt that a podcast would be a great way for us to connect with the community and share some insights, um, about, uh, uh, situations that they could, people could find themselves in, in the event of an accident. All right. Well, thank you, Tony.

And another question, when we talked about doing a podcast here, and I’ll put this one out for TJ or Chris, what did you want this podcast to be?

Or maybe even more importantly, what did you not want this to be? Uh, I can tell you what I don’t want it to be is a commercial. Right. Uh, and, uh, I too wanna thank you, Heather, for putting, uh, all of this together and, and spending time with us. It’s, it’s been great. And, uh, uh, yeah, we don’t want it to just be one long commercial.

What I envision is essentially, uh, using it for, like, case studies and allowing individuals to watch the podcast and, uh, be educated, uh, become more aware and be prepared. Uh, Tony touched on that earlier, saying we want people to be prepared. So often, uh, when we sit down with clients, uh, here in the office, uh, we are giving them information that they say, “If I only knew that ahead of time.”

Uh, because people think they understand the process, they think they understand workers’ comp, they think they, uh, they understand, uh, insurance policies, but just about every meeting that we have with a client, they say, “If I only knew that before, I would’ve done X, Y, or Z-” Right … “differently.” Excuse me. Right.

Uh, so yeah, that’s, that’s my view on things. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I didn’t wanna do this podcast at all when it was first pitched. A- and I think what, what made me come around was kinda like what Chris and Tony said, that there really is a lack of, um- A lack of information to the consumer. And for us, the consumer doesn’t know they’re a consumer until they’re in an accident, so they’re really under-informed about how the processes work, uh, what your coverages are, what workers’ comp is.

So for me, coming around to do something like this is, you know, outside of the comfort zone. But I think it’s important to give, uh, potential consumers, potential injured victims an opportunity to learn things, um, about how the process works without having to be in the, the formal, uh, meeting room with an attorney.

That can be overwhelming at first. So really just a, a consumer advocacy, if you will, something to get people educated about the process before they need it. All right. Thank you.

Anthony Georgelis: From Lancaster County Prosecutor to Injury Lawyer

Now Tony, you started the law firm. Uh, you graduated, uh, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and then you decided to come back and work at the Lancaster County District Attorney’s office.

Then you took the leap to start this PI firm. Let’s talk a little bit about why you decided to take this path, if you will. Well, um, it was a difficult decision. Um, in the DA’s office I was the director of the Child Abuse Prosecution Unit, which, um, m- meant that any case involving the, uh, physical or sexual abuse of a child f- uh, fell within the purview of my unit.

So, uh, we, we, we, uh, handled all of those cases. Um, and I, and I do think we were, were making some real progress in, in, in fighting child abuse while I was there. Um, but I, I felt that I could better serve the community and do so on a more wide basis, um, if I was to, um, create and build my own firm from scratch.

Um, I decided to choose, uh, injury law because workers’ compensation cases and accident cases, uh, allow me to utilize the, uh, litigation and the trial skills that I, uh, developed and honed in the DA’s office. Um, the other thing that, that’s equally as important, when I was a prosecutor I, I got to know the kids that were involved in the cases and their families really well, and that’s something that translates into this business, this discipline of law.

Um, I really enjoy working closely with and getting to know my clients and their families. In fact, that’s one of my favorite parts of the job. All right. And Tony, looking, looking back to y- 25 years later, here we are. Do, uh, do you feel like this is where you thought you would be 25 years later? Meaning, is this what you had hoped GLS Injury Law would be?

The short answer is yes. Um, I, um, we’re, we’re never complacent. We never rest on our laurels. We’re always striving to be better. Uh, but I am extremely proud of the firm that, that we have built. Uh, from the attorneys to the paralegals to the director of marketing, um, the CFO, the office manager, uh, even our, um, SEO specialist, every single person at this firm, without exception, is kind, compassionate, caring, and dedicated to our clients in a way that I don’t believe you can find anywhere else.

Very good.

Chris Larson: Former First Assistant DA of Lancaster County

And, you know, Tony, talking about the team that we’ve assembled here, we have Chris Larson, we have TJ Sabatino, all of whom have very interesting backgrounds and really bring unique perspectives to what we do from day to day. But let’s talk to you, Chris. You know, you graduated from JP McCaskey.

You went to F&M and eventually became the first assistant DA here in Lancaster County. When we talk about the unique perspective that you bring to the cases here today in PI, let’s talk a little bit about that. How do you think your background helps clients, injury victims? Sure. Uh, it’s funny that you mention, uh, graduating McCaskey.

I just had my 35th high school reunion held, uh, about a week and a half ago, and, uh, to think that I’m out of high school 35 years is a scary thought. But, uh, yeah, 35 years, uh, and we celebrated that, uh, reunion at Rick’s Place in downtown Lancaster. So that, that was, uh, that was fun to, to revisit those days and see some old classmates that I hadn’t seen in a long time.

Uh, as you mentioned, after high school, I did graduate F&M And I can tell you, I was drawn into prosecution, uh, because of, uh, my dad, who was a, uh, police officer. And, uh, seeing him and really, really idolizing my dad in what he did as a police officer, and always being there to help others. Uh, and that’s, that’s something that, uh, I’ve, uh, always admired about him, and always wanted to replicate in myself, and I, I’ve tried to do that.

And, uh, becoming a prosecutor, you know, working my way up from being just a brand-new assistant DA to becoming the first assistant district attorney of Lancaster County, and spending nearly 20 years there. You know, for those who don’t know, the first assistant district attorney is the second in command in the office.

So, uh, it’s a, uh, a role that has a lot of responsibility with it. And, uh, part of that was being on call 24 hours a day, and, uh, uh, getting called out to scenes, uh, and actually being involved in the investigative part of, uh, uh, the law. Because, uh, you know, as a prosecutor, people picture the separation. You see Law & Order and you see the, the, uh, uh, police doing the investigation and the attorneys doing the prosecution.

But in my role, I actually had a, a lar- large part and a large say in the investigations, which, you know, gives you a background that when a case comes to me now, and my preference is that I get cases early on, s- same as being in a DA’s office, wanting to get out to the scene. I do the same thing now, uh, representing injured individuals.

So I, I hear, uh, of a location where something happened, I wanna go out there. I wanna put myself in that position to, to get a real sense of where the incident occurred. Uh, another part of, uh, being a prosecutor that I brought along with me is I always put myself into the position of the, the victim or the family member o- of the, the victim in, uh, any case that I handled.

And I, I remember, uh, standing, uh, before juries, giving openings and closings, and actually having in the back of my mind, you know, what does that family that’s sitting in the gallery want to hear from me? And I always, uh, that was always something that drove me as a prosecutor, and it drives me now, uh, handling injury cases.

Uh, so, you know, that’s a little bit about my background and, and what dr- uh, drives me. And I can tell you, a- again, it’s, it’s, uh, uh, my dad who was the biggest influence. And, and I had people say to me, “You know, what-” Made you get involved in this incident, that incident. And I don’t wanna get into too many specifics of things, uh, that I’ve been involved in.

Even came up at my 35th reunion, a guy said to me, “Do you remember that time that so-and-so was being assaulted and you stepped in?” And I said, “Yeah, I do remember that,” ’cause that’s the way I’ve always been. I can tell you there was a, a fight one time in the, the courtroom, uh, and I had a judge say to me, “Why’d you get involved in that?”

And I said, “Well, because of the dad who raised me and always raised me to get involved and help people out.” I remember as a kid watching my dad intervene when somebody else needed a hand, and I always, uh, uh, was impressed by that and, uh, wanted to live my life the same way. So I always wanna help people out any time I, I, I can.

And it was, uh, leaving the DA’s office, I remember talking to Tony about it and he said, “You know, this is, uh, another way to continue to serve the community and to help people. Uh, you know, it’s just in a different forum,” but, uh, it allows me to contin- continue on with that Wonderful. And we do talk about that all the time here.

Injuries do happen, and it’s unfortunate that people sometimes have to file the claims, but we’re here, and that’s, that’s the job. And, you know, so if you’re gonna be injured, you need somebody that’s advocating, so you’re still helping everyone. So very good.

TJ Sabatino: From Workers’ Comp Defense to Defending Injured Workers

TJ Sa- t- moving over to you now. Let’s talk to you a little bit here.

TJ, your background, you worked for the em- employers and for the workers’ comp insurance side of things. Now you primarily, you do PI, workers’ comp here, but you do a lot of workers’ comp cases. Why did you decide to flip the script on this and come over to this side of things? Yeah, uh, uh, I guess I’ll start.

We, we celebrated our 35th reunion, but mine was from kindergarten. Uh, a little bit younger than Chris is right now. Um, so for me, I started working in a, in a small personal injury firm doing kind of what we do now, but I think on a smaller scale. Um, it’s, it’s hard when you’re starting out as an attorney in the PI space because the, the training and the education that you get after law school is a little bit different.

Uh, so for me, I wanted to be better at what I was doing, and it made sense to go to a defense firm where the pace is a lot faster, you get a lot more, um, litigation experience, a lot more deposition experience, a lot more, uh, interaction with other attorneys, uh, in the defense space. So I went and did that for two years, um, and it’s awful.

I, it, it’s really hard to do… It’s really hard to do that kind of work when you’re approaching being an attorney, uh, from the perspective, I think, of wanting to help people. So I’ve never wanted to be a legal scholar. I don’t want to write anything famous. I just wanted to find a, a job where I could feel like I was actually, uh, impacting people in a positive way.

So doing that for companies just wasn’t fitting with who I am or my personality. So I actually met Tony, um, we had a case together, um, God, like 2018, I think, at this point now. Uh, a- a- and it was perfect timing. Uh, I was unhappy with my situation. Uh, Tony had been looking for someone, and we hit it off, and I’ve been here ever since.

So, uh, making the move back to being in a position where you really can affect change, uh, in a positive way in people’s lives is, um, is, I, I think the most important thing for me. I think I share that with these guys, too. All right. Well, thank you, TJ, for that, uh, perspective as well.

Some Things We’ll Cover: Auto Insurance, What To Do After An Accident and PA Workers’ Comp

You know, now that we’ve met the hosts here, I do want to make something clear.

This is not gonna just be all of us sitting around talking about law every day and all the laws and the, and, and that kind of thing. This is really gonna be something where we dive into things. For example, we wish that clients knew this before they called us, right? So what are some of the topics that you all hope to cover through the podcast?

Just maybe a sentence or two about some of the topics that are most important to you. Um, f- for me, uh, it was touched on, I think, by all three of us, but, uh, there are, uh, certain things within our control, uh, w- after an accident happens, and those involve decisions that we make regarding our auto insurance policy.

So I’m really excited in future episodes to break that down and talk about, um, what everyone should, uh, have on their policy, what coverages, how much they should have, the questions they should be asking, and those kinds of things. Because I think Chris said that a lot of times people say, uh, “Well, if I only knew this.”

Well, this podcast is a way for us to let people know ahead of time. And, um, uh, and I think that a lot of that valuable information concerning, uh, what you need on your auto insurance policy, uh, if an accident ultimately happens, they’ll be in a much better position to handle things and to be, uh, compensated and made whole.

All right. Anybody else on that? Things that you hope to, uh, cover? Anything- Yeah, I, I think, I think workers’ comp’s a little bit different because, um, the injured worker never has any control over the insurance policy side of things, so they’re not really involved in that process. But I think, uh, along those lines though, I think with, with workers’ comp, it’s always the, the first conversation with someone is explaining to them what it does and what it doesn’t do.

Um, and unfortunately, workers’ comp in Pennsylvania, it’s not a, a perfect system. There are things that it does well, and there are things that it does not do at all. So I think as we go through this process, having conversations and, um, explaining to people what that is, I think will be important if they’re ever in this situation.

All right. Well, thank you TJ for that. And this is not gonna just be about all, like I said, all about the law. We’re gonna be bringing a lot of experts in here to join us on the podcast. So we’re gonna be talking to doctors, we’ll be pulling in certainly some past clients to talk about some of the obstacles that they overcame.

We’ll talk to some first responders. These are just a couple of, of folks that we’re hoping to get in on the podcast. Insurance companies, uh, to talk about some of the things that not everybody knows. So, uh, we’ll dive into all of that in the future, many episodes to come.

GLS Community Impact Awards and Scholarships

Uh, but also you’re gonna hear from people that are making a difference in our community.

We just launched our GLS Community Impact Awards, and that’s something that’s was really important to Tony, uh, TJ, and Chris, to all of us here at GLS Injury Law. Tony, let’s go to you on this question if I can. Why is community so important to us here at the firm? Well, a number of reasons. I mean, first of all, we are the community.

Um, every single one of us at this firm, uh, grew up in Lancaster or York County. Um, we don’t just, uh, put up billboards here and air commercials here. We live here. We work here. We care about the people. Uh, we’re ingrained in the, the fabric of, uh, Central Pennsylvania. So, um, uh- Ever since I opened the firm, I’ve felt, uh, an obligation and a duty to give back to the community in, in any way that we can.

And, um, uh, you know, the issues and the things that we encounter are the same that, um, uh, the people around us encounter. So whatever we can do in our little area of the world, in our areas of expertise, if we can share some knowledge and, um, make people’s lives better for it or to give them some peace of mind, I think that’s really important.

Excellent. And I think that just to focus a little bit more on one of our new initiatives here, and that is the GLS Community Impact Award. Uh, to give a little information on that, we’re awarding two students a month during the school year, one from York County, one from Lancaster County, with a $500 cash award and a lot of other extras there.

They’ll come in on the podcast. You’re gonna hear from them in a little bit. But you’re also going to then be eligible for our end-of-the-year scholarships. We’re giving out scholarships in the amounts of $7,500, $5,000, and $2,500, and they’ll be selected from the two award recipients each month of the school year.

So, uh, if you’re listening to this, it’s… I’ll plug it. You know, go ahead. All that information’s on our website. But, you know, to speak a little bit about that, Tony, Chris, TJ, any of you, that’s something we’re excited about here. I know, Chris, you were out with me on the last, uh, run presenting that check. Oh, there are really amazing kids in this community.

It’s, it’s fun honoring them and sh- and showcasing them, right? There truly are, and it was, uh, my honor and privilege to go out to, uh… So our first two recipients, uh, one was Penn Manor, uh, the other was Dallastown, and to, to go out to the schools and not just meet with the students themselves, but to, to meet with the guidance counselors, the teachers, uh, the principals, assistant principals, and hear of the, uh, positive role models that those students serve as in their communities.

And what I said to, uh, all of them is, “You know, we, we deal with some really difficult topics here in the office on a daily basis, uh, you know, uh, some of the, the tragedies that families deal with. Uh, you know, it’s, it’s tough subject, uh, matter that is often addressed.” And then on the news, you see so many negative things.

So, you know, part of the, the motivating, uh, factor for us was to have something positive, uh, that can be highlighted. And to, to meet with our first two recipients, uh, it was really a, a, a positive experience and, and frankly made me feel good, uh, to see those kids. And, you know, uh, I’m thinking of the, the stories that, uh, were presented on behalf of both of them, that they’ve overcome a lot.

Uh, the, the one who’s dealt with, uh, some serious injuries, uh, recently and has overcome those injuries, not related to an auto accident or anything. It was sports-related, but, you know, was resilient in her, uh, willingness to, to continue to show up for her team and, and really fought to get back, uh, on the field, and while she was dealing with her, uh, injuries, still working to better the community and fundraising for, uh, good causes.

So yeah, it, it was, uh, really a, a, a positive and uplifting experience for me, frankly, uh, to be out there and hear from them, and I hope others get the same feeling. Very good. Yeah, being out there with you 100%. They’re amazing students, and we had so many nominations the first month, which was really cool as well.

So we see all the, all the great things that are going, uh, on. All right. So again, you’re gonna meet them in just a short, in a short time here.

Rapid Fire: Get to Know the GLS Attorneys

But, uh, before we go, we’re gonna have a little bit of fun. You know what they do. Now let’s find out who they are. It’s time for rapid fire. Boom. Let’s go. All right.

Who, who do I wanna hit up with this? All right. Uh- Ooh … coffee or Diet Coke? Both. Both. All right. Fair. Uh- How about you? We’ll just go down the- Coffee. Coffee. I’ve never had coffee, so Diet Coke. Okay. Yeah, it’s weird. Diet Coke. Very well. Hm. Do you have a favorite drink? Uh, Coke. Regular Coke. All right. Early bird or night owl?

Night owl. Night owl. Uh, used to be a night owl. Now I’m, uh, an early bird. Okay. All right. Let’s talk about the courtroom or the conference room. Where would you feel more comfortable? Courtroom. Of course. What are we doing? That’s a good question. Con- conference room. You’re on trial. Just in case. Yeah. Yeah.

I’m going with Chris in the courtroom. Uh-huh. There you go. How about one thing people would be surprised to learn about you? Tony. Well, I think this is pretty common knowledge, but I am a lifelong and diehard Dallas Cowboys fan, so. Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm. And that doesn’t create any great conversation here at the office, right?

No, not at all. No, not at all. We won’t get into that- Uh-huh … uh, on future podcasts. Yeah. TJ, uh, I mean, just to show you what an open mind I have, I hired TJ as a, knowing he was an Eagles fan. Right. I hired Chris knowing he was a Giants fan, so. Fair. Um, but we all get along marvelously. Love it. Love it. And Chris, uh, something people would be surprised to learn about you?

Would you be surprised that I can bench press more than TJ? That would be shocking. I think that that is a future episode- And that might be false … on the GLX Insider. This is false advertising. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. Love this. Uh, TJ, what about you? Are you gonna just go right back at that and say you might beat me?

No, I, I’m just as obvious. Uh, I, I don’t know. For me, I spend a lot of time in the community. Uh, I run a lot of sports programs, so- Right … that’s, that’s where I’m at, so. You are always involved. Hm. Yeah, I think all three of you actually have done some, some coaching in the, in the past, and TJ’s in the thick of it with your, with your kids right now, I know.

Mm-hmm. Very busy. All right, final item. Most competitive person at the table, who are we calling? TJ. Oh, hmm, I don’t know. That’s, mm, mm. No? Maybe. I would say it’s a tie between Chris and TJ. Yeah, there’s, there’s… Yeah. No, we- No, it’s TJ … but we get along well. Yeah. Oh, I guess. No, the competitiveness is a good thing.

Yeah, yeah. It is a good thing. Um, but, uh, and it’s a healthy competitiveness. That’s right. Yeah. That’s right. We all- we’ve all got it to- Yeah … varying degrees. There you go. Well, yeah. All right, I, I missed my final one. Who is going to be the most likely to say something that I’m gonna have to edit out of this?

Same answer. That’s easy. TJ. TJ. I haven’t said… I’ve been cursed once today, so Episode one, we got through it so far. We got through. Yeah.

Coming Up: Workers’ Comp Process and Medical Treatment Options

Uh, all right, guys. Well, I appreciate everybody here, uh, sitting down, talking about these topics. I think before I go, and this is just gonna be a one-sentence thing, ’cause we all have, and I know we’ve talked about insurance, but one thing, one topic we really wanna hit on as we go through the course of these, uh, podcast episodes.

I’ll just go right down the line. Tony? Uh, you know, it’s, this is pretty nuanced, but, uh, it reminded me when TJ was talking that, um, while… wh- when someone suffers a work injury, uh, there are, um, uh, a lot of rules and requirements, and they don’t have a lot of control, but they have some with respect to their medical treatment, and I’m excited to talk about, um, w- what that, those options are because people think one thing, but the reality is totally something else.

You got it. All right.

Does Full Coverage Mean Full Tort in Pennsylvania?

Chris? Uh, I can tell you that I hear on a daily basis, uh, from individuals, “Well, I have full coverage,” uh, and think that they are fully covered in an auto accident case, and we have conversations, and we will get into the nuances of full tort versus limited tort and that full coverage does not equal, uh, full tort.

Uh, but yeah, hearing people say, “I have full coverage, so I, I’m in good shape,” that’s essentially meaningless. Uh, and just, you know, real quick, full coverage just means that you have, uh, collision and comprehensive. It’s not protecting you, so don’t think that you’re fully covered if somebody says, “Yeah, you have full coverage.”

We’ll get into that in great detail, and I look forward to that. Very good. And how about you, TJ? Yeah, I, I think, um, taking a walk through sort of the workers’ comp process, uh, I think you’ve done efficiently. You won’t fall asleep, but y- you’ll learn a lot that if you’re ever in a situation or you know a friend that is, then you’ll be able to point them in the right direction.

Community Impact Award: Amelia Fetter, Penn Manor High School

GLS is celebrating students who are making a difference in our communities. It’s time to meet this month’s GLS Community Impact Award recipient. We are thrilled to welcome Amelia Fetter. She is our first GLS Community Impact Award recipient from Lancaster County. She’s a senior at Penn Manor High School, and she is super involved in her community.

She absolutely embodies the core spirit of what this award is all about. Future Farmers of America, involved in her local church, mini-THON, she organizes food drives at Feed My Starving Children, and the list goes on. So without further ado, she is super busy, so we are super thankful that she stopped by the studio today.

Welcome to the studio, Amelia. Good morning, Amelia. And again, welcome to the podcast. We’re so happy that you’re here, and congratulations on being one of the inaugural winners of the, uh, Community Impact Award. Yeah, thank you so much. It’s an honor to be here, and thank you so much for having me, and to DLS for the award.

It’s a very exciting opportunity. Absolutely. Our pleasure.

Penn Manor FFA Vice President and Community Service

So let’s get right into it. Um, you are, uh, a busy young woman- … and, uh, yeah, doing a lot of things in the community. So I’d like to start out by asking you what your role is with, um, Future Farmers of America. Yeah. So I have the honor of being the vice president this year, which has been an incredible opportunity and definitely a good life lesson.

Um, learned a lot through doing that. I’ve gotten to work with the other officer team and, uh, various members. We get to, um, organize different events, and then, um, specifically, I’m on the Manor FFA Cares Committee, which is our community service group. Um, we plan different events, and this is my second year doing that, so I’ve gotten to plan different community service activities and events.

Um, right now we’re organizing a food drive for the Loft. So, um, get to encourage members to donate, and then we’ll drop off our, um, our, all of our food goods to the Loft after this is done. And then we get to do events with Mini-THON. We partner with them sometimes. Um, just different activities throughout the year that get to help our community, which is really awesome.

Yeah. That’s great. Wow. Um, the one thing I, in particular I wanted to ask you- Mm-hmm … about is the milkshake stand at the Weslampeter, uh- … Fair. That sounds pretty good. Oh, yes. That one’s always fun. Yeah, we get to help with the Weslampeter Fair a lot. Since we don’t have our own fair, that’s kind of the fair that we take as our own.

Um, we get to do the f- milkshake stand, which is very fun. Um, a lot of members like getting out of school for that. Yeah. Um, and yeah, we get to make the milkshakes, which can be a little chaotic when it gets busy, if you’ve ever been there. It’s definitely a very popular stand. Um- Yeah … but the past couple years, getting to do that’s- Yeah

been fun. I, I’ve not, but when I saw that you guys have the milkshake stand, I, I- Yeah … think I’m going to make a visit this, uh- Yeah … this coming year. Now, this past school year, we didn’t get to do it. We ran our own food stand this year, which is, um, a really great fundraiser for our chapter, but- Okay … we do love helping out the food stand.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

National Honor Society Volunteering and Tutoring

So, uh, you’ve been in National Honor Society two years, is that right? Yeah. This is my second year. Yes. Okay. Tell us about the volunteering that you do through Honor Society. Yeah. Okay. So we have a minimum requirement of 20 hours per year, so 20 hours my junior year, and then 20 hours my senior year.

Um, and they, our advisors, post opportunities for us to help, or we can, um, find our own opportunities and submit hours from that. So big things I’ve done with that is our school has an after-school instruction, uh, tutoring sessions that they do. So it’s an hour after school. We tutor other students. Um, so I’ve tutored s- for English and math and science Um, and then we have…

What else? We do things at The Loft as well, so volunteering to help package, um, boxes for families or organize donations. Um, goodness, what else have I done? The Turkey Trot, which is always a fun one, is coming up, so it’s always exciting to help with, um, that and registration. Yeah. Um, and then just various community opportunities in elementary schools and PTO and that sort of, type of thing.

That’s fantastic. Mm-hmm. Um, and obviously to be in Honor Society you have to maintain a certain GPA- Mm-hmm, yeah … so you’re obviously a good student as well- … on top of all this, so- Yeah … that’s fantastic.

Volunteering in a Church Nursery

Um, and then finally, um, I understand that you work in the, uh, or, or help out in the, uh, nursery of your church.

Yeah. Tell us about that. So, goodness, I’ve been doing that- It was pre-COVID when I first started. Um, I used to help in the two-year-olds room, so that’s always… If you’ve ever had two-year-olds, they’re, um, they’re fun. Oh, yeah. Lots of energy. Um, yeah, so we, um, read them Bible stories and take care of them and play with them.

And then I think it was after COVID, I switched to the nursery nursery, which is, um, six weeks to, um, one-year-olds. So we play with them. We get to, um… Some of them like to take naps, so we put them for naps and give them snacks and read them stories. Um, just get to take care of them. It’s a lot of fun. Yeah.

I love kids, so. Do you? Okay. Yeah, I do. It’s been a lot of fun. And then the other volunteers are amazing, so they’re awesome to work with. Okay. And then, yeah, that’s… This past year, I haven’t been able to help as much as, as previous years, um, just with school and work and all these things, but I still go when I can.

Yeah. Yeah.

Why Volunteering Matters to Amelia

Well, with everything that you’re involved in, I’m… It’s, it’s amazing that you have time for all of these things. Um, along those lines, you give your time to so many different causes. Mm-hmm. Um, what makes volunteering such an important part of your life? Mm-hmm. I think a huge thing for me is just seeing the positive response from the community.

Um, just seeing how gracious people are when you’re able to donate your time. Um, seeing the way it can change people’s lives, it can change families’ lives. Um, it’s just such an incredible thing to witness, um, just how people respond to that. And, um, getting to do it alongside other friends and other volunteers is, of course, is really awesome.

Um, but it’s just something that maybe you’re donating your time and it’s helping them, but it’s also helping yourself. Like, you, you notice how it changes you, being able to spend your time doing stuff like that, so it’s a really incredible opportunity. Yeah, yeah. Um, so, I mean, you do such a wide range of things- Mm-hmm

you know, from the teaching kids about agriculture to the food bank. Is… Was there ever a moment in, um, in the course of your volunteering that it just struck you that, “Hey, I’m really making a difference here”? I mean, does anything stand out to you as, like, a pivotal time or- Mm-hmm … pivotal moment? Mm-hmm. I mean, I think little moments like that happen all the time for me.

I can’t say I can think of one life-altering moment, but I think there are little things like that that happen all the time. Um, we got to do an event with FFA last year, um, packing meals for undernourished children, um, in our local area, but then also worldwide, and that was very impactful for me, knowing that maybe I’m in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but I’m helping somebody across the country, across the world.

And that, for me, was very inspiring, knowing that, you know, maybe one person can have such a big impact on just the world around them too, not just their immediate community. Um, so that was definitely a very influential moment for me. Um, and then, yeah, just- There are so many A lot of mini moments There are so many, yeah, so many mini moments of just pausing what I’m doing and looking around and being like, “Wow, this is, this is an incredible event that’s happening, and this is so incredible how many people’s lives are being changed through this,” and just mini moments all the time.

Yeah. Yeah. I bet that’s special.

Advice for Student Volunteers and College Plans

Um, so it- let’s say that, um, you know somebody, a fellow student who- Mm-hmm … uh, wants to volunteer, but they don’t think they have the time or have much to offer. What would you say to them? So I’m definitely, like you said, I’m very busy. Um, timing for me, sometimes I can feel that too of like, well, I don’t, I don’t have time to go to this event.

I already have this thing going on, or I have to work so I can’t help. But it doesn’t have to be much. One hour of your time can change somebody’s entire life. It doesn’t have to be, “Oh, I raised $5,000 for Mini-THON,” or, “Oh, I work here for f- 10 hours a week every week.” Like it can just be, “Oh, I helped my neighbor mow their lawn for 30 minutes today.”

Like just one little thing. It doesn’t have to be some big grand event. I think sometimes people feel like if it can’t be world altering, headline breaking news type event, they can’t do it. But I think people can have a lot more impact than they realize with just 30 minutes, an hour, $20. Like, it doesn’t have to be much.

Yeah. Yeah. That’s excellent, uh, excellent advice. Um, so we talked a little bit about this before- Mm-hmm … uh, the, the podcast started, but, um, what are your, uh, you’re a senior now at Penn Manor. Mm-hmm. What are your plans after graduation? Yeah. Well, that’s something that, uh, changes day by day, and I’m figuring out as I go, for sure.

Um, I’ve definitely fallen in love with agriculture, so I know whatever I do in the future, it will involve agriculture, and our community is so rich in agriculture, so I think that’ll be awesome. And then yeah, just, I plan to go to college, I think, for animal sciences, um, with a minor in agribusiness management, and then just seeing where it leads me.

Um, I’d love to work in livestock production or management, um, and figuring it out as I go, honestly. Yeah. Yeah.

How Amelia’s Parents Shaped Her Values

Well, you’re, uh, an incredibly well-spoken young lady, and, um, uh, when we got to talking this morning, um, uh, I realized that I know your dad. Yeah. And, um, uh, f- we go way back, and he, he owns RMS Residential- Yes

Media Services. And, um, uh, we, we spoke a little bit about, um, your upbringing and, and, and the influence- Mm-hmm … that he and your mom have had on you. Um, talk a little bit more about that, what that means- Yeah … to you, and how that influenced you to, to do what you do with these- Mm-hmm … organizations. Yeah. My parents are amazing, so shout out to my parents if you guys are watching.

Yeah. Um, they have been incredible role models for my sister and I growing up. Um, they’re some of the smartest people I’ve ever known. Um, my dad, of course, like, he runs his business, so from a young age, he, and both of him and my mom, but especially him, um, were very big on teaching my sister and I, um, how to conduct yourself responsibly and be responsible for your actions, um, to make smart decisions and to, um, think critically and ask questions.

Um, both he and my mom taught us the importance of kindness and just being kind to people and how far that can take you in life, and they both model it every day. Um, they’re amazing people and just truly great role models and inspirations for, uh, myself, and I’m sure my sister, who’s probably also watching this.

Yeah, yeah. Um, but yeah, just seeing the way that- My dad runs his company, prioritizing his clients and his customers over everything else. And the way my mom, she teaches nursing, um- Hmm … at St. Joseph’s University. Okay. So just seeing the way she values her students, um, and values their education and just them as a person and not just their grades, just seeing the way that they treat people every day is truly inspirational.

Yeah. Wow. Okay. Well, um, one last question for you. Um, in the future, you talked a little bit about your plans and, uh, they can change from day to day. Yes. And that’s the great thing about being young. Um- What do you see yourself doing in terms of volunteering and work in the community down the road? Mm-hmm.

Well, you know, plans change, so, um, I’m not entirely sure of specific things that I’m going to do, but I think no matter where I end up in life, I hope to always be the person that people can come to if they need help or if they’re struggling, um, and just to serve my community in little ways all… just around me.

I think there’s so much need around us that sometimes when we’re privileged, privileged enough to have, you know, clean clothes and good food and a warm house all the time, we kind of forget that there are people that don’t have those, um, simple luxuries every day. And so I think no matter where I end up in life, I hope it will always be my priority to focus on the need around me.

I have no doubt. I have no doubt. Well, Amelia, thank you so much for your time. It’s really been a pleasure talking with you today. Thank you, guys, so much for having me. And again, thank you for this award. It’s an incredible honor. A- absolutely. You deserve it. Thank you. Thanks so much, Tony and Amelia.

Community Impact Award: Emerson Markle, Dallastown High School

Well, now we’re gonna get to our second GLS Community Impact Award winner, who’s also a first, but this one is in York County.

Emerson Markle is a senior at Dallastown High School, and while she was recovering from a season-ender ending ACL injury, she sustained that in field hockey, she turned her efforts into helping others. She raised $5,000 for the Mini-THON. She also spent a lot of time at York Hospital’s pediatric wing as she prepares for a future in nursing.

So we’re very excited to welcome Emerson here to the podcast as well. TJ and Emerson.

Raising $5,000 for Mini-THON After an ACL Injury

Uh, first off, congratulations- Thank you so much … on being part of the first class of, of scholarship recipients. Um, so the information I got was you tore your ACL last year. Yes. But I think it was more than that. What happened before you tore your ACL?

So I broke my nose in the very last play of warmups, and then I got cleared to go play in the game ’cause they didn’t believe it was broken, and then that’s when I tore my ACL. Oh, my goodness. Yeah. So how do you, how do you stand for THON with a torn ACL? Well, last year was definitely… It looked a lot different than what I was used to.

Normally, I’m very involved in, like, the games throughout the night, and all of the tournaments and stuff, but this year I kinda had to adapt, and I still knew I wanted to show up and be there for those kids because it’s, like, one of my greatest, like, accomplishments of high school, I’d say. So I really wanted to show up, and it looked a little different just watching from the sidelines of, like, the tournaments, but I still really enjoyed my time.

And you were still able to raise a lot of money- Yes … for the event. Yes. That’s awesome.

York Hospital Pediatric Volunteering and Nursing Plans

So you did some volunteer work over the summer- Mm-hmm … at York Pediatric Hospital? Yes. What’d you do there? So I kind of did a lot of different categories of things. I did everything from just cleaning toys to going into the kids’ rooms, giving them someone to talk to, someone to play with when maybe they didn’t have a parent there, just feeling a little down.

But it was really fun to go in and check on all the kids and kind of get a new, like, perspective of that, like, work environment- Sure … and all the stuff. Yeah. And is that what you wanna do after high school? Yes. So where, what’s the plan for next year? Well, I’m not really sure where I’m going yet, but I wanna maybe become a labor and delivery or a NICU nurse.

So just starting off in nursing and kinda see where it takes me. Yeah, that, that’s awesome. Yeah. Um, so, you know, obviously this is a new scholarship program that we’re running. What, what would you say to other students that, um, that wanna make a difference in their community, maybe people that we meet throughout this process?

How, how do you get started with that kind of thing? Um, I’d say in a world like today, I feel like we’re very self-involved and kind of only worried about our own problems, but I think we gotta kinda switch the narrative and focus on how we can give back to the community and make a difference, and just start by helping others.

You might not know they’re struggling, but people all have their own struggles, and it’s bigger than just ourselves. So how have these experiences, I mean, persevering through injury, working with pediatrics, how does that shape or why you wanna become a nurse? I just, I saw the impact I could have on people.

I had one kid in particular, I was in her room for maybe about 20 to 30 minutes, and I heard from her mom that I just completely switched the entire, like, just path of her day and really brightened her mood. And knowing that I had the power to do that really inspired me, and I really wanted to, like, be able to do that with my career and life.

So probably just getting to inspire others is, like, a really big motivational factor. Yeah, that, that’s amazing and, and really impressive. And again, congratulations, uh, on the scholarship. It, it obviously well-deserved. Thank you so much. And I, I do wish you luck in the future. Uh, good luck with nursing school, wherever you land.

Thank you. I’m sure you’re gonna do great. Yeah. Thank you so much. You’re welcome. All right. Yeah. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Closing: More from the GLS Injury Report

Have two wonderful candidates, obviously, and that’s why they got the very first ever GLS Community Impact Award. We’ll be hearing a lot more from other students in the community as well as covering many, many more topics here on this podcast.

You’ve been watching the GLS Injury Report: Real Injuries, Real Comebacks, Real Answers. For more information, resources, and future episodes, visit glsinjurylaw.com. And remember, when you’re injured, don’t settle for less. Call GLS.