By Mimi Teller/American Red Cross

As a high school freshman in 2023, Denis Bi joined the American Red Cross through READYteens, a three-week program giving students hands-on training in disaster preparedness. What started as a suggestion by a friend on his school’s Red Cross Club board launched a journey that would take him from participant to president of the Metro Southeast Los Angeles Youth Corp.

What stood out most from that first summer was seeing the transformation among his peers. “Students came in with no knowledge at all,” Denis recalls. “By the end, they could do CPR, splints, and had many other skills.” He especially remembers helping one student who struggled to splint properly. With a little extra guidance, Denis watched the student finally succeed. That moment showed him how meaningful it was to teach others.

The next year, Denis returned as a Section Lead, determined to make the program even stronger. Some days, READYteens tackled intense topics such as active shooter response or psychological first aid. Denis found ways to make these discussions manageable while ensuring participants had a safe space to express their feelings. 

The following year, Denis was invited to be the READYteens Coordinator, to oversee all the sites. When he helped coordinate the READYteens program, applications climbed to 170, far more than he expected. “At first we only had about five,” he says. “Then suddenly the numbers skyrocketed. It was amazing to see so many students interested in something I was helping run."

Taking on the coordinator role wasn’t easy. Denis remembers feeling like he’d been dropped into the deep end when planning his first training session. But support from the advisors and the READYteens youth leadership team helped him adapt quickly. “Everyone was flexible and made sure I had what I needed,” Denis says. That encouragement built his confidence.

Denis also stepped up beyond READYteens, supporting first aid operations at the Pasadena Rose Parade. He began as a communications band tracker, monitoring marching band members who were sidelined with injuries, keeping detailed records of where they were sent—whether to an on-site first aid station or a hospital and relaying that information to ensure no one was lost or overlooked. The following year, after completing over 60 hours of professional-level Emergency Medical Response (EMR) training, an intensive course based on national EMS educational standards featuring lectures, videos, simulated emergencies, discussions, and hands-on skill practice, he joined the Red Cross EMR team as part of the Youth First Aid Station Team (YFAST). During the parade, he helped attend to a wide range of emergencies, from heat-related illnesses and blisters to more critical health issues, applying his training to keep participants safe and supported throughout the event.

As Blood Health and Training Service Officer for the Metro Southeast Los Angeles Youth Corp,, Denis organized blood drives that collected 89 pints, enough to help as many as 267 patients. He remembers one donor who always came at the end of her workday. “She kept returning again and again. That’s when I realized I was helping build a community of donors,” Denis says.

Now president of the Metro Southeast Los Angeles Youth Corp, Denis leads an executive board of eight officers. Along the way, mentors like Kaden Espino reinforced his growth—sometimes with humor. “Kaden always calls me ‘a dedicated and committed leader,’” Denis laughs. “It’s become an inside joke, but it’s also something I try to live up to.”

Click here to learn more about our READYteens program. If you are interested in volunteering with the Red Cross and join our Youth Corps, message us at  YouthServices.LosAngeles.CA@redcross.org.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.