By: Zach Rouseau

After countless hours of planning, youth volunteers from American Red Cross Clubs, the Top Achievers Foundation, the City of Plano, Plano ISD and other supporters hosted the Youth Career Network Summit at the Plano Cox Playhouse on March 27, 2025. The event welcomed approximately 250 attendees, including nearly 200 middle and high school students aged 13 to 18.

Special guests, including Plano Mayor John B. Muns and Dallas Mavericks MC Chris Arnold, energized the crowd, encouraging students to see leadership as a personal and community commitment. With support from more than 15 partner organizations and eight panelists—including doctors, lawyers, global finance executives and Red Cross leadership—students explored ways to create impact through service and professional growth.

The event emphasized core Red Cross values: volunteerism, service, humanitarian leadership and community resilience. Students participated in hands-on CPR demonstrations, visited career stations hosted by industry leaders and learned about Red Cross initiatives, including blood services, sickle cell education and humanitarian law. 

“This started with a personal story in my own family,” said Zach Rouseau, DEI advisor for the Red Cross Regional Youth Services Executive Board. “But it became something much bigger. Seeing these students today—curious, engaged, inspired—that’s the future of service that will create the next generation of community leaders, doctors, lawyers and more.”

The summit originated as a youth-led sickle cell blood drive organized by the American Red Cross Youth Services Executive Board, inspired by Rouseau’s personal connection to the disease. Over time, it evolved into a broader movement.

The effort, known as Blood for Change, has helped collect more than 1,100 blood donations, nearly 40% from Black donors. This initiative advances health equity and improves outcomes for patients with sickle cell disease.

Driven by a shared mission of service and inclusion, the Red Cross and Top Achievers collaborated to create a youth-centered summit focused on leadership, volunteerism and opportunity across North Texas.

In post-event surveys, all students reported leaving with a deeper understanding of the power of networking and community connections. Many reflected on how the event expanded their awareness of the Red Cross’s role in public health equity, including the critical need for diverse blood donations to support patients with conditions like sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects African American communities.

With the support of partners, volunteers and community leaders, the Red Cross and Top Achievers remain committed to investing in that future—one summit, one student and one spark at a time.
 

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