By: Dana Woodruff, Red Cross Youth Volunteer

I began volunteering with the Red Cross during my junior year of high school. I started as a Blood Donor Ambassador in the NJ Penn Region. When COVID hit, I began to pursue virtual volunteering opportunities, and I began working on a volunteer communications team for Blood Services in New Jersey during my freshmen year of college. When I began my on-campus classes at George Washington University in my sophomore year, I started working as the Red Cross Club’s Blood Drive Coordinator. My co-BDC and I quickly found success and led our club to win our region’s Inaugural Blood Drive Battle. The next year we served as co-presidents and were able to establish our club as one of the most active and accomplished in the region. That year, our club won the DC Chapter’s Club of the Year Award, and I won the chapter’s Young Humanitarian of the Year Award. During this time, I continued to work virtually with the volunteer communications team for Blood Services, publishing monthly newsletters for Blood Donor Ambassadors in New Jersey. I’ve loved being able to work in multiple regions and support all the great work they are doing.

During my senior year, I served as a National Collegiate Officer for my club’s home division, the Central Atlantic Division. This opportunity allowed me to share my knowledge of running a Red Cross Club and keep the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region’s tradition of hosting yearly Blood Drive Battles alive.

Throughout my work in the Red Cross, I have had the privilege of working with talented and dedicated youth and adult volunteers as well as employees who have helped shape this experience into a meaningful one. As I graduated from college this May, I was able to reflect on everything I have learned and experienced through the opportunities I have had in the American Red Cross.