To her family and friends Adara Pasos is not shy about doing things on a whim. So when she came across a blurb about an opportunity at the American Red Cross in her college newsletter, her reaction was “that sounds kind of cool, I ought to give it a try.”

The opportunity was for a position on the Southwest Michigan Chapter Board of Directors as an honorary youth member. The position serves as a non-voting member on the board to advocate for youth engagement at the Red Cross and its overall mission delivery.

Pasos was appointed to the position in 2022 and served for 18 months. Last fall, she became a fully-fledged member of the board and today chairs its mission committee.

“What keeps me going is the overall mission of the Red Cross,” said Pasos who earned an associate’s degree in nursing at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and became a registered nurse in 2024. “I feel like I’m here for a purpose.”

Board members serve as strategic advisors to the regional and chapter leadership, advocate for the Red Cross mission in their community, and help with generating philanthropic support.

Pasos brings a youthful enthusiasm to her role as well as a humanitarian spirit. It was that spirit to help others and make a difference in her community that led her to a nursing career. She works in the medical surgical unit at a hospital in Kalamazoo.

“I love it, but some days are really hard,” she said. “What really does it for me, when I’m having a hard day, is hearing patients say things like ‘Thank you so much’ and ‘I appreciate your care’. That makes me feel like, oh, it makes it all worth it.

“Being that supportive figure and being that person who the patient and their family can cry with, or look to you for guidance, or look to you for advice, it’s an empowering thing. It makes me feel really humble.”   

As a nurse, Pasos also recognizes the importance of blood donations for helping to save lives. She has been donating blood to the Red Cross since high school.

“It would be selfish not to,” Pasos said, matter-of-factly. “Being a nurse, I’m learning how quickly it takes your body to generate blood. And I think about the amount of blood I’m giving at the bedside to patients, oncology patients, sickle cell patients, people that are in need.”

By David Olejarz, regional communications director