When Mercy McAuley High School student Kat Bowman decided to start a Red Cross Club at her school during her sophomore year, she admitted she had “never planned an event before.” Looking back now as a senior, Bowman said, “It was hard, but the payoff was so much more than the work involved.”
Bowman’s Red Cross story started at the age of 15 when she took lifeguard training. “I had a really good experience, and I was trying to think what I could bring back to my school.” After doing some research, she brought the idea of starting a Red Cross Club at her high school to faculty member Cindy Werner. “I taught Kat her freshman year and really couldn’t turn her down – she’s such a great student,” Werner said. “The club was a great opportunity for the kids.” Werner and fellow science teacher Lisa Nissen agreed to become faculty co-moderators, supporting Kat’s ambitious idea.
Across the country, Red Cross Clubs are an extension of local Red Cross regions allowing students to engage in service projects related to the Red Cross mission. Students plan and implement projects such as providing disaster preparedness education, hosting blood drives or supporting disaster relief operations among other activities. According to Bowman, “doing one little thing makes a big difference. It’s ok if you can’t do it all, because no one can do everything.”
Mercy McAuley High School student Kat Bowman and faculty member Cindy Werner.
That first year, Bowman’s club had a membership of three—Kat and two of her friends. Since then, Red Cross Club at the all-girls high school in Cincinnati has gained significant interest among its student body and now includes over 50 members.
“At first It was difficult to find members,” Bowman said. “The first year we educated students about what the Red Cross does.” Bowman explained, “I came across the Red Cross through lifeguard training, some people only know it for blood drives, and there’s so much more. There’s so much the Red Cross does.”
The Red Cross club at Mercy McAuley mirrors the various lines of service offered by the Red Cross. The students have written thank you notes to military service members and to blood donors; and they assembled care packages for first responders which they delivered on September 11th. In November, Bowman, the faculty advisors, and members of the club organized a Red Cross blood drive at the school. Of the 35 people who came to donate, 21 were first-time blood donors. “I think students want to get involved, but some may get scared. They think, ‘maybe I can only donate blood once’ well,” Bowman continued, “donating blood that one time is helping another person’s life.”
Bowman didn’t stop with the founding of the Red Cross club at her high school; she now helps other schools in the area set up their clubs through her role on the regional youth leadership team supporting outreach work and serving as an engagement lead. In the Spring, Bowman was the 2024 Central & Southern Ohio Region Youth Volunteer of the Year Award recipient.
Bowman balks at the idea of how her Red Cross service pads her college applications. “That’s not why I do it,” Bowman insisted. “My parents have always prioritized helping others, they would take me different places to do service when I was little. I enjoy the behind-the-scenes work, the planning and coordination.That’s what motivates me,” Bowman explained. “What motivates me is seeing the little things pay off; I like seeing people have joy in their service activities. It’s nice to be able to put this on my college application because I’m proud of it—but that’s not why I do it.”
For more information about starting school Red Cross clubs, click here: https://www.redcross.org/red-cross-youth/red-cross-clubs/k12-and-college.html
Kat Bowman with her 2024 Central & Southern Ohio Region Youth Volunteer of the Year Award.
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