Editor’s Note: In commemoration of Red Cross Month and Women’s History Month, we are publishing a series of #LeadLikeClara profiles featuring local women volunteer leaders who emulate the leadership characteristics of Red Cross founder Clara Barton.

Unionville High School senior Anika Harris joined the American Red Cross because she was inspired by its mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering.

“It’s a really admirable goal, to not only relieve the current suffering, but work on making sure your community is in a place where they could respond to emergencies if they ever arise,” she said.  

High school and college Red Cross clubs are a great way for young humanitarians to strengthen their skills and create meaningful change. Anika embraced that opportunity early. She co-founded Unionville’s Red Cross club as a sophomore and has served as co-president ever since. 

The club currently has 120 members, around 40 who participate regularly. Anika says the group strives to organize at least one emergency preparedness event, one fundraiser and one blood drive every year. 

Soon after launching the club, Anika and her team organized a successful coin drive to support people impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton in North Carolina.  They tapped into the school’s spirit by associating each donation jar with a teacher, promising that the teacher with the most coins would wear a chicken costume.

“We pitted our teachers against each other,” she explained. “We got these three teachers to really battle it out, and we ended up getting around $350.”

This year, Anika’s Red Cross club partnered with Unionville’s THON chapter for their annual blood drive, resulting in the largest number of student blood donors across her three years of organizing.

“A lot of the blood we collect will probably go to cancer patients. So we thought, ‘Oh, it’s an organization that helps families affected by childhood cancer.’ It’s a great combination,” she said.

Anika’s leadership deepened even further during her junior year, when the club members formed a team to participate in the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) program through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The campaign theme was Space Law, and coordinating the project required Anika to develop practical leadership strategies.

“At the beginning, it was kind of hard to get everyone to contribute, and I had to step up as a leader,” she explained. “I assigned everyone roles and created assignments for each of them.” She added that the team members sent her their work, and she compiled everything together.

Overall, Anika describes the Red Cross’ commitment to youth engagement as surprising and heartwarming.

“I really appreciate how much the Red Cross cares about youth and their perspective on things,” she said. “They really let youth create their own initiatives and give them the resources they need to be able to implement them.” 

Anika’s leadership extends beyond Unionville. As SEPA’s youth and young adult ambassador through the National Youth Council, she’s helping to strengthen connections across Red Cross clubs.

“Basically, we are trying to connect whatever issues our region is facing with the resources the National Youth Council offers,” she explained.

Working alongside a fellow ambassador at Lehigh University, she is helping nearby Red Cross clubs share resources, information and best practices.

“They can share the tips and tricks of what works best for their schools,” she said.

Even outside of youth programming, Anika continues to lead through service. She volunteers monthly as a blood donor ambassador—primarily at the West Chester Blood Donation Center—where she greets, checks in and thanks donors to help ensure they have a positive experience. Recently, she also signed up to be a social media ambassador for national Red Cross campaigns.

After graduation, Anika plans to study biochemistry or biomedical sciences and ultimately attend medical school. Her path forward already reflects the leadership values she has honed through the Red Cross—initiative, compassion and a commitment to strengthening her community.

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- Written by Alana Mauger