Editor’s Note: We invited Red Cross Club graduating high school and college seniors to share their experiences with us. The information is compiled and presented by Cindy Grell, Ellen Ginda and Alana Mauger.

Minh Dao

The Lower Merion High School Red Cross Club spent the 2025–26 school year expanding its impact and strengthening its commitment to service. Throughout the year, club members participated in service events, including Sound the Alarm in Norristown during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the Philadelphia Veterans Day Parade and their annual canned food drive, which supported Neighbors Helping Neighbors on the Main Line.

Reflecting on his time with the club, graduating senior Minh Dao said the experience showed him the power of service and community.

“During my time with the with the Red Cross Club, I enjoyed being part of something larger than myself and seeing how even small acts of service can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” he said. I learned that while I contributed my time and effort, I also gained a lot in return: friendships, connections, and a deeper sense of fulfillment from giving back to a community that has supported me.”

This fall Minh is headed to New York University.

“My next chapter will be at New York University, where I will study math & economics and probably drink more energy drinks than water.,” he joked.

As he begins this next chapter, Minh says the values he developed through the Red Cross will remain an important part of his future.

“No matter where I go, I will carry the Red Cross mission forward by continuing to contribute value to the communities I become part of.”

Prapti Patel

The Downingtown East High School Red Cross Club experienced tremendous growth under the leadership of graduating senior Prapti Patel. Established during the 2023–24 school year, the club grew from 10 members to approximately 60 in just one year. Club members participated in a wide range of service activities, including blood drives, fundraising campaigns, donation collections for Philadelphia Veteran Affairs, card-making projects for veterans and a toy drive benefiting the Red Cross House. The club also supported local organizations such as Uwchlan Ambulance Corps and the Chester County Department of Emergency Services through community service initiatives.

One of the club’s most notable accomplishments was hosting one of the region’s first collaborative CPR certification events with Immaculata University, helping establish a partnership that is expected to continue in the future. Prapti also helped prepare the club for continued success by mentoring her younger sister and another student to take on leadership roles following her graduation.

Reflecting on her time with the Red Cross, Prapti says the experience taught her the importance of taking initiative and believing in the impact one person can make.

“Freshman year, I walked into a Red Cross meeting and found only the advisor and silence. The few students who came sat in the back. One leaving. Another glued to his phone. I could have done the same. I could’ve left, but something in me stayed,” she shared.

Prapti says she opened her notebook and began asking questions. “What could this club be? Who could we reach? What difference could we make?”

Four years later, that empty room transformed into a community of 60 members.

“What I remember most is that first moment where I made the choice to speak up. I learned that we always have that choice everyday. I learned that each of us holds power,” she said. “Red Cross inspired me to stand up alone in the front of a room and harness that power to make real impact. Red Cross reminded me that I can in a world we are often told we can’t.”

This fall, Prapti will attend Carnegie Mellon University, where she plans to study information systems.

“I’m really excited to explore how I can use technology, something I’m deeply passionate about, to create meaningful change and help others,” she shared.

Looking ahead, Prapti hopes to use technology to help solve real-world challenges and serve communities around the globe.

“The Red Cross mission of helping people and improving society has really shaped me, and I plan to carry that forward by using my skills to make a positive impact throughout college and beyond.”

SEPA Red Cross Clubs

During the 2025-26 academic year, the SEPA region supported 33 Red Cross Clubs – 28 in high schools and five in colleges and universities. More than 950 students participated across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

Senior Volunteer Engagement Specialist Ellen Ginda, who works closely with the students, explains that while each Red Cross Club is different, they all “have the goal of bringing the Red Cross’s humanitarian mission to their schools.” The student leaders choose how to reach that goal, which often includes hosting blood drives, organizing fundraisers and collecting in-kind donations, like toys, books, food and more!

Over the past academic year, SEPA’s Red Cross Clubs hosted more than 20 blood drives, organized 11 fundraisers and coordinated 11 donation collections. In addition, nearly 150 students were trained and certified in CPR/AED/First Aid.