VolunTEEN Voices: Emily & Esther (Part 2)

Pictured above are Emily Yang and Esther Ryu.

In today's episode of VolunTEEN Voices, we continue the stories of Emily Yang and Esther Ryu, two friends who met during their time as TidalHealth VolunTEENs last summer.

Below is part two of their story from Esther Ryu, a second-year TidalHealth VolunTEEN in the Mailroom and 3 East at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury, Md.:

Sometimes friends, even best friends, forget how their friendship started. But our friendship all started with “She seems…”

When I first applied for TidalHealth volunteering, the main reason I joined was the fact of being in a hospital due to my interest in the medical profession. What I didn’t think of was that I would make a meaningful and lifelong connection.

The first time I met Emily Yang was on TidalHealth VolunTEEN orientation day. When I came across her, my brain instantly went, “Wow, she seems like such a great person to become friends with.” Sadly, on that day, everyone was awkward so I couldn’t build enough courage to talk to her confidently.

On the first day of volunteering the following week, I saw Emily and got the courage to talk to her. As if it was meant to be, we both had a volunteering shift at the pharmacy department. My first instinct when I saw her was to ask for directions and Emily was kind enough to direct me all the way to the pharmacy. After that day, what started as awkward small talk slowly turned into talking about common interests. These included our similar diverse backgrounds, compassion for patient care, and future aspirations.

We would coincidentally bump into each other multiple times and the more we saw each other, the closer we became, leading to me adding another 4-hour shift at the hospital just to spend more time with her. In between the two shifts we had each, we shared lunch together and would usually update each other about our day. These lunch shifts allowed me to put my phone down while eating. This means a lot to me because that would rarely happen if I was alone or with other friends. Usually, when I am on my phone, time goes by quickly because I don’t know what’s going on around me. Weirdly, when I was with Emily, time also went by quickly even though I was talking instead of being on my phone scrolling. Talking to Emily allowed time to fly by quickly but in a good way. She allowed me to be my real self in front of her even though she was not my family member, which is valuable to me.

Emily is like an older sister I always wished for. Her nurturing nature and wise counsel often remind me of the guidance and companionship I had longed for in a sister. Whether it was her reassuring presence during shifts or the conversations we shared over lunch, Emily filled a void in my life with her kindness and understanding. Her ability to empathize with my experiences as the older sibling brought a sense of comfort and belonging that I deeply cherished.

Looking back now, Emily and I had lots of conversations related to our cultures. I am Korean and Emily is Chinese, and sharing the similarities and differences between our cultures created several diverse conversations. Even to this day we talk about it and learn something new each day.

Now even outside of TidalHealth, we hang out a lot creating new memories with each other. We grab lunch or dinner from time to time and even participate in volunteering activities as a beneficial way for us to bond more easily and have fun. I am beyond grateful to TidalHealth for giving me this incredible friendship that I can live with throughout my life.

Coming to the end of the first few chapters of our lives, TidalHealth greatly shows that we can create a strong bond between people who have never known each other. This chapter of Emily and I started with a simple “She seems…” Now I will always remember how our friendship started.

To learn more about volunteering at TidalHealth, visit our Volunteer Programs page.