By Alison Votaw, Communications Volunteer
Sydney Highter’s introduction to the American Red Cross is one that many young people have in common, she donated blood and felt a little faint after. Despite this, she overcame her fears and remained committed to giving back to her community throughout high school and college.
“I wanted to help people directly and through volunteering I realized helping people is a feeling that never gets tiring,” Sydney shared.
As a nursing student, Sydney was uncertain about the specific role she would undertake at the Red Cross, but she was eager to find an opportunity to apply and enhance her nursing skills.
After going through a few different trainings, she attended her first hands-only CPR event in Ventura at the Ventura Fire Department. She didn’t know what to expect, but was blown away by the overwhelmingly positive reception from families who came to learn these essential lifesaving skills at the event. She felt surrounded by passionate individuals eager to help and learn.
“What happens when people learn CPR is, they may not remember everything they learned, but when they make that call to 911 they are going to remember what they need to.”
Sydney has attended at least five hands-only CPR events throughout her time at the Red Cross. One of the most memorable was the event at Ventura High School, where she collaborated with Candy Campbell-Ursu (Ventura Disaster Program Manager), Steve Medina (Preparedness Volunteer Leader), and Micaela Duarte (Volunteer Recruiter and Youth Club Leader) to educate the Ventura youth on Hands-Only CPR, the first event of its kind.
During the event, students at Ventura High School who were waiting to donate blood were encouraged to participate in a presentation by the Red Cross Club, which taught them how to administer CPR and provided insight into the Red Cross. These 10 to 15-minute presentations, provided the club members an opportunity to practice their presentation skills as well as their CPR skills. Sydney’s role involved educating the club members on the best practices for teaching CPR, guiding them through the presentation, and providing support when questions arose.
Sydney discovered a shared passion for the medical field among the Red Cross Youth Club members, many of whom volunteered for similar reasons as her.
They gained valuable field experience and connected with others pursuing similar studies. Sydney witnessed firsthand the impact of these events on students, observing as club members taught their peers life-saving skills while enhancing their own abilities.
She’s found a passion for educating others on CPR and looks forward to any other Red Cross opportunities that come her way.
“You don’t have anything to fear, you just have things to gain.”
Sydney plans to continue her journey at the Red Cross and hopes to one day deploy for an emergency. She encourages anyone in the medical field to volunteer with the Red Cross due to the diverse opportunities available with varying levels of commitment.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities for health professionals, visit redcross.org/nursing
Red Cross Central California Blog 