by Isabella Alemany

Olivia Haunso first fell in love with volunteering on a month-long trip to a Tibetan refugee camp in Nepal.

“I helped them [the Tibetan refugees] build a wall to prevent flooding in the camp. I taught English at the schools and painted the houses in the village. I talked to a lot of refugees.It was really nice.”

Since that trip, Olivia has dedicated herself to putting a smile on people’s faces. “I love to help people. It’s the biggest fulfillment to see a smile on somebody else’s face”.

Now as a summer intern and Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer with the Red Cross, she works on creating a disaster care exercise to build connection between NYU students and Red Cross staff members and also helps people begin the recovery process after local disasters.

Olivia said, “Honestly, I love it so much. I think people have been sitting behind desks a lot but to actually apply it [your knowledge] and get that face to face connection in the field is real. It’s real life, not a joke. You’re actually helping. A lot of people forget the value of that.”

Olivia is pursuing her Master of Science in Global Security Conflict and Cyber Crime at the NYU School of Professional Studies. About the degree, she said, “It’s basically being a liaison between policy makers and people with a technological background."

When she’s not working, volunteering, or studying, Olivia loves to play tennis and spend time with her family. She is half Dutch and half Danish. She was born in Belgium and raised in Switzerland. “I’m from all over the place,” she said.

“I joined the Red Cross because I saw the opportunity, especially as a DAT Responder, to be there immediately for people,” said Olivia.“The Red Cross is so flexible, there is so much you can do. Once you start, it’s hard to stop.”

Put on a red jacket and join Olivia as a Red Cross Volunteer. Visit www.redcross.org/volunteer to find out how you can support your community.