Muhlenberg athletes are spending the summer of 2025 enjoying fantastic experiences on campus, in their hometowns, and across the country.

Sophomore volleyball player Emma Laskaj, a neuroscience major, shadowed doctors at a children's hospital.

This summer I had the opportunity to shadow multiple doctors, including neurologists and physiatrists, at the Elizabeth Seton Children's Rehabilitation Center in White Plains, New York.

Dr. Liliah Cantor, Dr. Maria Pici, and Dr. Louis Dizon shared knowledge with me about children with chronic illnesses through the lenses of their specialties. I recently declared my major as neuroscience and in short, this is because my younger brother has 3p chromosome deletion syndrome, so he has severe special needs, and growing up with him gave me a deeper understanding about how the mind works.

My senior year of high school, I took Advanced Placement Psychology, which led me to fall in love with the different functions of the brain and how they operate. This experience at Elizabeth Seton's allowed me to see how doctors treat patients similar to my brother and patients that I hope to treat after many years of school and studying.

The doctors I worked with made sure to explain everything in depth to me, encouraged me to ask questions, and gave me advice for my future as an aspiring medical student and doctor. I saw a variety of patients, and even though I wasn't able to touch or truly participate in anything, it was nothing short of inspirational to just be a witness.

Seeing the passion that these doctors have for bettering the lives of children with chronic illnesses was a special and unique experience that I will never forget. The doctors gave me articles to read, allowed me to carefully observe what they were doing, and explained everything in a way that just a textbook alone can't teach you. 

The knowledge that I gained will be something that I carry with me as I continue to navigate this rewarding field of medicine.