The Fairfax High School seniors celebrated on June 13 after
graduating from the career development program at Cedars-Sinai. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Thirteen Fairfax High School seniors threw their caps in the air on June 13 after graduating from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Youth Employment and Development program, a two-year initiative that prepares them for careers in the medical field.

During their time in the YED program, students learn from doctors, nurses and professionals in other departments at the hospital, exposing them to a variety of different jobs. Many YED program graduates seek employment in fields they were exposed to in the program after college, said Daniela Villegas, program manager for NextGen Healthcare Pathways at Cedars-Sinai.

“They are with us when they start their junior year. They come to the medical center [two to] three times a week for two or three hours. They have mentors and supervisors in the departments that help them with their day to day activities. For some students, this is their first job, because it is a paid program. They get school credit and they get paid,” Villegas said.

The graduating students are Annalise Buonya, Autumn Cho, Emily Choi, Monica Contreras, Amadou Diop, Josephine Gomez, Bladimir Gonzalez, Mia Hall, Jacqueline Hernandez, Arlene Herrera, Katherine Lacayo, Emily Portillo and Andrea Ramirez. Cedars-Sinai administrators announced at the ceremony that five of the students – Choi, Gomez, Hall, Hernandez and Herrera – have been accepted into the EMERGE (Educational Mentorship for Empowering Resilient Growth and Excellence in Healthcare) pilot program in which they will continue their paid part-time work at the hospital while they are in college and will have an opportunity for employment after they graduate.

“We want we want to make sure that they are with us and once they graduate college, to then get them a full time job,” Villegas said. “We want to see the full circle.”

Choi said the program was very rewarding. She will be attending California State University Los Angeles and plans to become a nurse practitioner.

“We were recruited, like student interns, during the last few days of our sophomore year. I’ve worked at … the Anesthesia Free Evaluation Center,” Choi added. “Basically, they deal with patients before their surgery to make sure they’re optimized for the best operation, they’re not allergic to any medication, they won’t have any complications with anesthesia or anything like that. I feel like a lot of people might think that the YED program is specifically for people who are interested in health care, but you don’t have to be set on the medical field in order to join the program. I feel like this program really helps you gain work experience and gain that professional stance that you need in the work environment.”

Buonya said she is matriculating to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has not yet decided what career path she wants to follow. She added that the YED program at Cedars-Sinai provided valuable knowledge and guidance as she moves into the next phase of her life.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my two years here,” Buonya said. “I’ve been working in the Oncology Department for inpatient and they’ve kept me busy this entire time, from working with patients bedside to doing secretary work like filing and printing. I’ve learned a lot of technical skills just to be successful in general in the workplace. I also learned a lot of interpersonal skills.”

Diop, who plans to attend Santa Monica College and pursue a career in engineering, said the staff members at Cedars-Sinai are inspiring.

“I enjoyed the program. It gave me a lot of insight and I think it’s been interesting learning to pursue careers in health care. Also, it helped me become more professional. I found it very beneficial because it will help me in applying for jobs.”

The YED program was started in 1993 as a partnership between the hospital and Fairfax High School. Villegas said it is open to all students at the school, not only those with high grade point averages. The medical center hopes to expand the program to other high schools in the future.

“We are not looking for 4.0 students. We really like to give opportunities to those that might have a 3.0 or 2.9 [GPA] because we feel that they also need that opportunity,” said Villegas, who is also a graduate of the YED program and now runs it. “Maybe this program will change their lives and open more doors for them.”

“We are so proud of the entire 2024 YED class,” added Nicole Mitchell, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Cedars-Sinai. “Some students will attend college out of state, some in state, but all are heading to college with insights and exposure to health care opportunities. For our inaugural EMERGE cohort, we are honored to continue to support them through their college journey and watch them grow.”

For information on Cedars-Sinai’s Youth Employment and Development program, visit cedars-sinai.org/diversity-and-inclusion/community/nextgen-healthcare-pathways.html.

The students and their families were treated to a celebratory luncheon
after the graduation ceremony at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. (photo by Edwin Folven)