Beverly Press/Park Labrea News: Fairfax Students Graduate From Cedars-Sinai Program
The Beverly Press/Park Labrea News interviewed Daniela Villegas, program manager of Cedars-Sinai’s NextGen Healthcare Pathways initiative, and Nicole Mitchell, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Cedars-Sinai, about the organization’s efforts to mentor the next generation of healthcare providers.
The Beverly Press/Park Labrea News spoke with Villegas and Mitchell during a graduation ceremony for students participating in the Youth Employment and Development (YED) program. A collaboration between Cedars-Sinai and Fairfax High School, the program promotes healthcare careers by offering a part-time job at Cedars-Sinai to 11th and 12th grade students.
Villegas, a YED graduate, told the Beverly Press/Park Labrea News that students do not need a perfect grade point average (GPA) to participate.
“We’re not looking for 4.0 students,” she said. “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. Maybe this program will change their lives and open more doors for them.”
Select YED graduates also have been accepted into a Cedars-Sinai pilot program called Educational Mentorship for Empowering Resilient Growth and Excellence in Healthcare (EMERGE), which allows them to continue working at Cedars-Sinai during college. After graduation, they become eligible for employment.
Mitchell told the Beverly Press/Park Labrea News that she and Villegas are proud of the students’ accomplishments.
“Some students will attend college out of state, some in state, but all are heading to college with insights and exposure to healthcare opportunities,” Mitchell said. “For our inaugural EMERGE cohort, we are honored to continue to support them through their college journey and watch them grow.”
Click here to read the complete article from the Beverly Press/Park Labrea News.