DeTar Volunteers Help Support the Next Generation of Healthcare Workers

8/20/2026

At 29 years old, Javon Walker had a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and chemical engineering from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University and an established career. But after his grandmother had a heart attack one Christmas Eve, Walker said he discovered his true calling in life.

Now 31, Walker is back in school with the help of the DeTar Volunteers Scholarship Program and is working to become a doctor, just like one of the doctors who helped his grandmother.

“Right now, I have a great job and I make good money, but it’s not what I’m passionate about,” Walker said. “Serving others, helping people heal — that is what fulfills me, and it gives me a deeper sense of purpose.”

On Christmas Eve 2024, Walker’s family had gathered in Houston to celebrate the holiday, but he noticed that his grandmother wasn’t feeling well. Deciding to be cautious, Walker took her to the hospital to get checked out. It was revealed that she was showing signs of a heart attack. In the emergency room, Walker watched as doctors and nurses worked diligently to care for his grandmother. It was then that Walker’s fascination with the healthcare system began.

“My grandmother is the rock of our family. In her moment of need, while so much was happening around us, staff took the time to interact with me and made sure I knew what was happening with my grandmother,” Walker said. “In that moment, I knew that one day I wanted to be able to care for others just like those doctors and nurses were caring for our family.”

In March 2025, Walker started volunteering at DeTar Hospital Navarro at the front desk every other Friday. From greeting visitors to helping patients navigate their way around the hospital, Walker gets to serve others while also shadowing doctors in the emergency and radiation departments. When he learned about the DeTar Volunteers Scholarship Program, he knew it would help him pursue his dream.

“For the last two years, the DeTar Volunteer Scholarship Program has helped students on their way to becoming doctors, nurses, physical therapists, surgical technicians and various other medical professionals,” Mark Wieseman, DeTar Volunteers Scholarship Committee chairman, said. “We want to help uplift the next generation of healthcare workers.”

Each semester, the DeTar Volunteers award scholarships to students who are pursuing degrees related to the healthcare field, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, write an essay about their commitment to healthcare and are involved in volunteer work or participate in community service. Students can be awarded this scholarship twice over the course of their healthcare journey.

This year, for Doctor’s Day at DeTar, $3,000 was donated on behalf of DeTar’s administration to the DeTar Volunteer Scholarship Program in lieu of traditional gifts.

“This donation allowed us to award two additional scholarships to support students right here in the Crossroads,” Patty Scevers, board president of the DeTar Volunteers, said. “Each year, we have been able to award more and more scholarships to very deserving students. We are excited to see how they will continue to thrive.”

Fall 2026 DeTar Volunteer Scholarship Recipients

• Aubrena Barnes
• Luke Parker
• Jace Saddler
• Daryn Schutz
• Javon Walker

“When I’m at the hospital, I just get the feeling that this is where I was meant to be the whole time. Everything has prepared me for this,” Walker said.

For Walker, going back to school has been a sacrifice for him and his family, but he said his biggest reward won’t be the white doctor’s coat. It will be showing his 18-month-old son, Kavon, that he can achieve anything he sets his mind to.

“I want to show him that I’m not somebody who stopped because he was satisfied with superficial things, that I am somebody who chased and pushed myself to do what I am passionate about and what I feel called to do,” Walker said.

Beyond being a father, a chemical process engineer and a volunteer at DeTar, Walker also serves as a mentor to students at Travis Middle School in Port Lavaca. For almost three years, Walker has spent his Tuesday lunch break at the school, spending one-on-one time with students and building connections.

“Javon’s dedication to the healing profession and education, along with his record of community service, made him the perfect candidate for this scholarship,” Wieseman said. “We are proud to support him on his journey.”

Within the next eight years, Walker hopes to be donning a white doctor’s coat, serving out his life’s purpose by healing others. For now, the long road of medical school and residency awaits him, but Walker is ready to face it because he knows it will all be worth it in the end.

To learn more about DeTar Volunteers, please visit www.detar.com/volunteer-opportunities.

Back