By: Anjan K. Garg, Youth Services Executive Board

I had the privilege of working alongside Zach Rousseau, a co-founder of the Youth Career Networking Summit, during the first partnership event in 2025. He drew from his family's personal experience with sickle cell disease to build something that could reach students across North Texas.

As Rousseau moved forward to attend medical school, I stepped into the role of Mission Impact and Inclusion Lead on the Youth Services Executive Board for the American Red Cross North Texas Region. My youth team and I have continued the collaboration between the Red Cross, Top Achievers and our community partners with one shared goal: serving students just like us.  

Approximately 200 middle and high school students from Collin, Dallas, and Denton counties gathered on March 4 at Plano’s Cox Playhouse to network with professional organizations from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Hosted by the American Red Cross North Texas Region and the Top Achievers Foundation, in partnership with organizations such as Plano ISD and the city of Plano, the event connected students with mentors, career paths and service opportunities. It also helped develop the networking skills essential for meaningful conversations.

 Students began the evening exploring more than 15 booths hosted by universities, organizations and community partners. Each student had a bingo card that encouraged them to explore careers and education while making networking feel more natural, especially for students who had likely never introduced themselves to a lawyer or a university recruiter. The American Red Cross also set up an informational table where students could learn about youth-led initiatives beyond the summit, including Blood4Change for sickle cell advocacy, youth mental health efforts, disability awareness and free First Aid/CPR/AED certifications through the Strive to Save Lives program.

Students also had the opportunity to sign up for blood drives at the Red Cross table. Afterward, all attendees moved inside the theater for opening remarks by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Julie Holmer, American Red Cross representatives, including Rousseau and Shreya Jupelly, and Top Achievers founder Lawrence Mann.

Following the networking event, attendees watched two panel discussions. The first featured professionals included Attorney Barbara Di Castro, Scientist Anthony Samuel, Plano ISD Principal Sonja Pegram, Sports Marketing Executive Larry Lund and Corporate and Insurance Professional Christian Davis. Each speaker discussed how relationships shaped their careers. The second panel included Imo Essien, a former Division I athlete who studied Sports Management at Old Dominion University; Neybia Henderson, an Economics and Statistics student at UT Austin; and our own Zach Rousseau, who shared his personal experience as both a summit co-founder and current medical student, bringing a perspective closer in age to the student audience.

The participating students demonstrated something special as the program came to an end. Many students continued networking. They stayed, still asking panelists questions and engaging in conversations with people they'd met just hours earlier. Next year, we'll return with more partners, more stories, and an even stronger foundation to build upon.

The American Red Cross offers a wide variety of youth volunteer opportunities for people ages 13 to 24. Our Youth Leadership teams help identify these opportunities by strategizing with our Volunteer Services teams. Through these leadership programs, youth are better able to build confidence and cultivate core leadership skills such as teamwork, public speaking, strategic planning and more while working in diverse teams.

Click here to learn more about Red Cross Youth.