By Patricia Gao
American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region

When Katie Luong tells her Red Cross volunteer story, she has a lot to say about how much the organization has given her over the past five years.

“I was very introverted as a kid,” she recalls. So, she describes becoming a Blood Donor Ambassador as a high school student in Boise, Idaho, as, “throwing myself into the deep end of the pool.” And that decision has made all the difference.

At the University of Utah now, she has progressed to serving as Volunteer Recruitment Lead, training other volunteers for the Greater Salt Lake Region. And as Red Cross Partnership Liaison at the U, she is completing her capstone Bennion Scholars project, developing a series of materials to recruit college students to become Red Cross volunteers.

“I’m hoping that I can connect to students with these materials, and it will make it easier for them to get into the Red Cross,” she enthuses. “I really think making it easier is key.”

Katie says she has developed many useful skills in her role as Volunteer Recruitment Lead, noting that she has more team management, interviewing, and quick selling skills. “I appreciate the Red Cross for challenging me -- to talk to strangers, deal with people who are frustrated, and gain those valuable problem-solving skills,” she says.

“Volunteering really benefited me. When I moved to Utah, I did it by myself. If it wasn’t for the Red Cross and those experiences, I think things would have turned out differently. The Red Cross is a confidence builder.”

That confidence is obvious in her daily life, working as a phlebotomist, research assistant, and studying premed. “I’m hoping to end up in an intensive environment like the emergency room,” she says, where she can use her abilities to build trust with strangers and help those who need it most. “My ultimate goal is to address health inequities like the ones I saw when visiting Vietnam as a child.”

In the meantime, Katie plans to continue working with the Red Cross to revitalize its volunteer population. “I want to make sure prospective volunteers know that the Red Cross has a huge number of positions available and can meet people where they are when it comes to commitment.”

Katie knows the value of doing “what you can with the many opportunities the Red Cross offers to get involved in humanitarian efforts,” she says. “I can see no greater joy than spending my free time giving back to others.” And she intends to pass that feeling onto others.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.