Faces of Cedars-Sinai Volunteer Emma Friedenberg Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog Faces of Cedars-Sinai Volunteer Emma Friedenberg Aug 20, 2018 Cedars-Sinai Staff Share Tweet Post Volunteer Emma Friedenberg Meet Emma Friedenberg! The 18-year-old is back for her fourth year as part of the Teen Volunteer Program at Cedars-Sinai. Emma, an LA-area native, recently graduated from high school and will be attending UCLA in the fall as a neuroscience major on the pre-med track. We sat down with her to learn about her time at Cedars-Sinai and her plans for the future. What are you currently doing at Cedars-Sinai Emma Friedenberg: I'm a volunteer in oncology. One of the most fun things I get to do is interacting with patients. I visit the rooms and say, "Hi, my name is Emma. Can I get you anything—blankets, Jello, or water?" I go through a checklist, talk to the nurses, and answer calls from other departments and patients. Read: Volunteer Ben Pearson Gives Back After Beating Leukemia What are your career goals EF: I would love to be a neurosurgeon—surgery is one of the coolest things to me. I watch so much Grey's Anatomy! What inspired you to go down this career path EF: I took my first neuroscience class in elementary school as part of a gifted-student program. It was an afterschool enrichment course where we made a model of a neuron. It was also incredible to be part of last summer's CIRM SPARK internship, where I got to make real neurons out of induced pluripotent stem cells! A neuron Emma created as part of her research focused on Huntington's disease, a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive deterioration of neurons within the brain. How do you like to spend your free time EF: During the school year, I spend most of my time studying, and I work as a research assistant at a neuroscience lab at UCLA. I also play sports—cheerleading, soccer, and track and field. I love to travel. My dad goes on business trips often so sometimes I'll tag along. We just got back from London and Paris—it was my first time in Europe and I had so much fun! Read: Teens Trade Summer Vacation for Volunteer Experience What are you excited about in the near future EF: I'm super excited to start college! I can't wait to take some higher-level classes—I feel like I've been done with high school for a while, and I'm excited to do something else and work in a college lab. Do you have any hidden talents EF: I'm really good at Sudoku, and I love to paint, draw, and bake. What is your TV guilty pleasure EF: Black Mirror, Sherlock, Stranger Things, Grey's Anatomy, and Orange is the New Black. What is the best advice you ve ever received EF: "Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." I have it on a necklace, and I live by it. To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Cedars-Sinai, visit Volunteer Services. Tags Faces of Cedars-Sinai Volunteers Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics In Our Community Faces of Cedars-Sinai Patient Stories Los Angeles Behind the Scenes Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility