By: Timileyin Adenike
Edited by Michael A. Brown

At Odessa High School in the Permian Basin Chapter, Martha Burrola is Facilitator of the Global Leadership Academy (GLA). In a recent interview, she shared how volunteering with the American Red Cross has inspired her students to grow into confident young leaders.

 “The main focus of the Global Leadership Academy is to build leadership skills, communication, and teamwork, which are the basis of our student organization. Our student Red Cross volunteers are not native to this country or native speakers of English. Sometimes, they encounter the feeling of not fitting in because of their culture, language, etc. The GLA, I believe, is their safe place. And as the saying goes, ‘It is not a disability but rather a lack of opportunity.’  GLA is providing those opportunities, and these young adults are walking straight to the opportunities and succeeding,” Martha says.

But back when GLA first started, Martha believed students were mainly interested in earning Red Cross volunteer hours. However, she soon noticed something more meaningful happening. Students began taking initiative by organizing and hosting their own events on campus. They showed passion, responsibility, and a genuine desire to serve others. According to Burrola, this initiative revealed that the students were not just participating for credit - they were becoming self-motivated leaders determined to make a positive impact in their community.

For example, this year they asked to hold their own event around their high school campus. They prepared their own event notifications and delivered them to homes in the campus community. Two weeks before the scheduled event, they trained new GLA participants, prepared needed equipment, and encouraged each other. “I truly believe that they enjoy the activities, doing something for communities that is needed and having one-on-one conversations with homeowners,” Martha said.

From time to time in the community, the student volunteers have been treated poorly, but for the most part, people have been very welcoming, and the students receive lots of praise. Students like being able to demonstrate both their native Spanish as well as their English skills.

Martha Burrola told me the GLA has only been at Odessa High for 5 years, “and within this short time my students have been named Ms. OHS, named on the top 10, graduated from OC through certificate programs while in high school, receiving an Associate’s degree, taking Dual Credit classes, identified as gifted and talented, inducted into the National Honor Society, participated in both academic and sports activities, as well as recipients of scholarships.”

She continued, “Besides those academic achievements, GLA students also participated in outside activities and events. They requested permission to have their own event around our campus. They were very excited when the Red Cross gave them the ‘go-ahead.’ Other activities have included the HEB Feast of Sharing, Noel Wagner Shrimpfest, and the Keep Odessa Campus Clean-up Rivalry that we won. They also are judges for student projects at Milam Elementary School Science Fair.”

Martha’s students, themselves, tell about the lessons they have learned from volunteering, especially the importance of participating in and giving back to their community. Their meetings with local leaders such as Sheriff Griffis, County Judge Dustin Fawcett, Brooks Landgraf and his wife, ECISD administrative employees and Board members, have helped them improve their speaking skills, and add to the value of community participation.