Field Ambassador Biographies
2021-2022 Field Ambassadors
Ana Sadler
D.C.adler is the Field Ambassador for the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region. She is a senior at Briar Woods High School and is the President of the school’s Red Cross Club. This will be her second term as an officer for her school’s club as last year she was the Youth Administrative Board Representative. Ana participated as a youth advocate and lead of the Outreach Specialization Group in her region’s International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Youth Action Campaign (YAC) Task Force. This year she is a Coordinator for an IHL YAC task force. Ana also volunteers as a Biomed Greeter for the ADVANCE Study located in D.C.. Outside of volunteering with the Red Cross, Ana sits on the National Panel as a Conference Representative for the Girls Academy Soccer League and she is the Vice President of the Shanti Bhavan Northern Virginia Chapter.
Andrew Dong
Andrew Dong is a sophomore attending Iowa City West High School in Iowa City, Iowa. He is the founder and president of the Iowa City West High School Red Cross Club, and is also a Blood Donor Ambassador and Disaster Action Team Associate. His favorite part about the Red Cross Mission is how it allows for young students in high school to make a large impact in their community. As a Field Ambassador, he hopes to organize events that teach CPR for free to local youth in his region who are in high school and junior high. Outside of the Red Cross, Andrew runs varsity cross country and loves volunteering at his local retirement community, where he has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award Gold.
Bella Kim
Bella Kim is a senior at Arnold O. Beckman High School and is the current Field Ambassador for the Southern California Region. She also serves as the President of her school’s Red Cross club and as the Fundraising Committee Lead of the Youth Advisory Council for the Orange County Youth Services Department. Throughout her high school years with the American Red Cross, she has participated in the summer Leadership Development Camp, staffed for the virtual Growing Leaders Of the World (GLOW Red) Camp, and been a part of the Orange County Chapter’s Volunteer Connection Committee as well as their Fundraising Committee. As a Field Ambassador for her region, Bella is excited to work with the National Youth Council to execute different initiatives and amplify youth engagement in her region. She aspires to promote an environment for all youth to unite and champion the American Red Cross mission as well as emphasize the importance of diversity. Working alongside other passionate leaders, Bella intends to form a lifelong connection with the Red Cross and continue pursuing her passion in college.
Cassandra Leo
Cassandra Leo, a junior at Quarry Lane High School, is the Field Ambassador for the Northern California Coastal Region. She began her Red Cross journey during her freshmen year, first serving as a Blood Donor Ambassador and Workforce Engagement Onboarding Team Member. She has since then become involved with her American Red Cross community through other fascinating opportunities. Throughout her three years, she founded her school’s club chapter and now oversees other Red Cross Clubs in the region as the Club Liaison Coordinator for the East Bay Youth Executive Board. She is excited to continue engaging in youth involvement and hopes that as a field ambassador, she is able to connect her region to engaging initiatives in a collaborative environment that can further spark a passion for service and the Red Cross community. Outside of the Red Cross, she runs her own photography business and is training to become a lifeguard.
Clara Yu
Clara Yu is a junior at the Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences and is the Field Ambassador for the New Jersey Region. She first became involved in the Red Cross during her freshman year and currently serves as the Vice President of the UCVTS Red Cross club, where she plans blood drives, preparedness events, and fundraisers. She is also an active contributor of the youth International Humanitarian Law (IHL) initiative and the Prepare with Pedro preparedness program. Clara is also the Club Relations Committee Central Jersey Chapter Lead of the New Jersey Youth Council (NJYC), where she writes and edits the monthly newsletters. Clara looks forward to working with other passionate volunteers across the nation in expanding Red Cross and increasing youth involvement. Outside of Red Cross, Clara enjoys competitive swimming, playing the cello, watching Netflix, listening to music, and hanging out with friends!
Hans Bach-Nguyen
Hans Bach-Nguyen (he/him/his) is a high school senior at Adolfo Camarillo High School in Ventura County, and is excited to be serving as this year’s Field Ambassador for Central California. Hans’s involvement with Red Cross began his sophomore year when he joined the Adolfo Camarillo High School Red Cross Club. Inspired to lead, he became the club’s president his junior year and led projects such as Sound the Alarm and organizing blood drives. Through impactful initiatives, he grew the club to be the largest club at his school and the most active Red Cross club in Central California. This year, he’s serving his second term as a co-president of his Red Cross club and Ventura County’s co-coordinator of youth. His main goal this year is to improve youth engagement across his region through available communication. Outside of Red Cross, you can find Hans enjoys composting, hikes, and digital design.
Katherine Son
Katherine Son is a senior at West Career & Technical Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is currently president of the WCTA Red Cross Club and has been involved with the club since her freshman year of high school. She began her Red Cross journey when she joined the club as a freshman and further deepened her relationship with Red Cross when she re-founded the club during the 2020-2021 school year. Katherine’s focus is to increase awareness of local and global current events and provide a fun and rewarding volunteering experience to other high schools. Katherine is also involved in many other service clubs and projects such as HOSA, Key Club, and National Honors Society. Katherine hopes to create a lifelong connection with Red Cross and continue to help others after high school.
Katie Clark
Katie Clark is a junior at Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Washington and serves as the Field Ambassador for the Cascades Region. She is in the International Baccalaureate Program. Interested in volunteer work, public health, and the biomedical field, Katie began volunteering for the Red Cross her freshman year to learn more about blood donation. She currently serves as president of the Southwest Washington Youth Council, chair of the board of representatives for the Cascade Board of Directors, and as a member of the Cascades Youth Executive Board. During her term, she hopes to bolster local youth engagement by making more wide-spread events accessible to clubs in the region. To work towards this goal, she has invited student representatives from Oregon to the council in the hopes of creating a separate partner youth council. In the long term, Katie hopes to volunteer abroad for the ICRC to learn about health care practices and humanitarian efforts in various countries. In her free time, Katie enjoys swimming, playing piano, and painting.
Katie Nakai
Katie Nakai is a sophomore at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and is the Field Ambassador for the Massachusetts Region. Katie started her journey with the Red Cross as a blood donor ambassador the summer before her freshman year. In her freshman year Katie created a global platform for high school students interested in medicine. She shared her volunteer experiences with over 2,000 students and helped many start volunteering with the red cross. During her sophomore year she became a member of the Massachusetts screening team, helping prospective volunteers. Katie is excited to work with others who are passionate about the red cross and looks forward to expanding youth engagement.
Maia Campbell
Maia’s first experience with the Red Cross was in September of 2018. Hurricane Florence had viciously struck the North Carolina coast and many people were displaced. As she saw her parents volunteer all weekend at the Red Cross temporary shelter at a local high school, collecting donations, delivering supplies, and checking in on evacuees, she remembered asking, “What could the kids, do to help?” Since that summer a fire lit beneath her and a passion for community activism, youth leadership, and volunteerism was ignited.
Melissa Lee
Melissa Lee is a senior at Davis Senior High School and represents the California Gold Country Region. Her involvement with the Red Cross began in her sophomore year and she now serves as the President of her high school’s Red Cross Club. Additionally, she is the chair of the Gold Country Region’s Youth Executive Board. Melissa enjoys connecting with people from all walks of life to volunteer for a greater cause. Her goal as a Field Ambassador is to increase access to and quality of opportunities in the Gold Country Region. During her free time, Melissa enjoys figure skating, playing badminton, watching Netflix, and spending time with her golden retriever.
Nicole Tsaroukian
Nicole Tsaroukian is a junior at Clark Magnet High School and serves as the Field Ambassador for the Los Angeles Region. She began volunteering for the Red Cross in her freshman year of high school and now serves as the Graphics lead for her high school’s Red Cross Club. She also participated in the READYTeens summer program as well as the Leadership Virtual Development Conference. Through this position, Nicole hopes to collaborate with her fellow Field Ambassadors not only to create successful projects but also to build lasting effects and connections. She is excited to work alongside other passionate volunteers to increase youth involvement and can’t wait to leave her mark in the Red Cross community. Outside of volunteering, Nicole enjoys watching films/making movies, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
Niya Patel
Niya Patel is a senior at Hawken High school and represents the Northern Ohio Region. She began volunteering for the Red Cross after the summer of her sophomore year as a Youth Blood Donor Ambassador. She founded her school’s Red Cross Club the following year, and raised money to make first aid kits for a local Women’s Shelter. Niya hopes to create more youth volunteer opportunities in the Northern Ohio region, and increase youth volunteerism in general as a Field Ambassador. Her favorite aspect of volunteering is being able to meet new people, and work with people to help the community stay safe and healthy. In her free time, Niya likes to bake, dance, and play soccer.
Olivia Lombardo
Olivia Lombardo is a senior at Minisink Valley High School in Orange County, New York. She is beyond honored and excited to serve as the Field Ambassador for the Eastern New York Region. Olivia has been volunteering in various nursing units at a local medical center as well as shadows a medical professional in her prospective field. She wishes to inspire youth engagement region-wide, initiate valuable service projects and develop meaningful relationships with the incredible Red Cross volunteers in the area. In the future, she hopes to continue her involvement with the American Red Cross as she pursues her medical career.
Owen Zhang
Owen Zhang is a senior at Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas. His Red Cross volunteering experiences can be traced back to his middle school years when he first attended a “Pass the Bucket” event at a Harlem Globetrotter game. Owen currently serves as the TGCR Youth Service Council Executive Chair, where he plans and coordinates youth projects, and events for the entire region, including blood drives, STA campaigns, disaster preparedness trainings (RedCrossReady), youth socials, diversity calls, and fundraising events. Additionally, as the region’s IHL Lead Coordinator, Owen oversees regional IHL outreach events and directs several teams in the mission of engaging and spreading awareness about IHL in the community. His favorite events are Sound the Alarm campaigns and Missing Map-A-Thons, which he has trained hundreds of Red Cross volunteers on. Owen has received the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award, Points of Light Inspiration National Honoree, and the TGCR International Service Award, as well as the Most Exceptional Youth Volunteer Award for his ARC work. In his free time, he loves to play volleyball.
Patrick Bednarz
Patrick Bednarz, a senior at BASIS Goodyear High School in Goodyear, Arizona, is the Field Ambassador for the Arizona and New Mexico Region. Patrick first became involved with the Red Cross in 2019 when he joined his school’s IHL Youth Action Campaign team. Since then, Patrick has served as both a IHL YAC regional coordinator and a lead advocate in his region. As part of the IHL YAC Campaign program, Patrick attended the IHL YAC summits in 2020 and 2021. Outside of volunteering with the Red Cross, Patrick swims competitively for the YMCA Westside Silver Fins, and he serves as a commissioner on the City of Goodyear’s Youth Commission and as President of his school’s Pre-Med club. As a Field Ambassador, Patrick hopes to extend his volunteerism with the Red Cross outside of the IHL YAC program to have an impact on other areas of need.
Rebecca Stephenson
Rebecca Stephenson is a junior at Inglemoor High School and is the current Field Ambassador for the Northwest Region. She has been involved with the Red Cross for two years, including being the Red Cross Club President at her school for the 2021-22 school year. Rebecca has successfully led projects with broad participation, like Holiday Mail for Heroes. She hopes to grow participation in her club this year as well as youth engagement, and looks forward to being more involved with the Red Cross and its mission. Outside of her involvement with the Red Cross, Rebecca enjoys writing, listening to music, and being a HOSA club officer at her school. In the future, Rebecca hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
Riddhi Bansal
Riddhi is a current junior at East Lyme High School and serves the current field ambassador for the Connecticut/Rhode Island Region. When she began volunteering with the Red Cross as a freshman, she wanted to get involved in the Red Cross to help people and learn more about the Red Cross. Throughout her time at the Red Cross, she has served as a Coordinator for the IHL Youth Action Campaign. Outside of the Red Cross, she’s involved in HOSA, Model UN, and Women in Stem. She is also a varsity tennis player and a dancer. Additionally, she has EMT training and volunteers in hospitals to become a medical doctor one day. As a Field Ambassador, she hopes to engage more youth in her region, educate youth on Red Cross topics, and positively impact the community!
Saima Hoque
Saima Hoque is a senior at Deer Park High School and the Field Ambassador for the Greater New York Region. She has been a dedicated member of the Red Cross ever since her freshman year and currently serves as her school’s Red Cross club president. Additionally, Saima is an International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Youth Action Campaign Advocate who is excited to lead a creative, fun-filled campaign that will promote awareness of IHL within her local community. In the past three years as a member and officer, she has participated in and organized several successful events, such as Vaccinate-a-Village and the annual Deer Park Red Cross Scavenger Hunt. As a Field Ambassador, Saima is eager to work alongside her like-minded colleagues and deepen her connection with the youth volunteers of her region. Outside of Red Cross, she is actively involved in her community; she serves as the president of five clubs and continually draws inspiration from the Red Cross volunteer spirit. Besides this, you can always find Saima whipping up a new recipe in the kitchen or immersing herself in a good book.
Sanjana Velu
Sanjana Velu, a junior at William Mason High School, serves as the Central and Southern Ohio Region Field Ambassador. Her involvement with the American Red Cross began two years ago as a freshman in high school when she founded a Red Cross Club at her high school. She currently serves as Co-President of the Club and leader of Central and Southern Ohio region’s youth council. Within her roles, she has helped organize projects such as a region-wide food drive, a region-wide newsletter, Measles and Rubella fundraisers, Preparedness Fairs, Totes of Hope for homeless veterans, Blood Donor cards, blood donation campaigns, and many more. In her free time, Sanjana enjoys reading, running, and baking. As Field Ambassador, Sanjana hopes to increase youth membership and involvement in the Central and Southern Ohio Region.
Sanjeev Varma
Sanjeev Varma, a student at C. Leon King High School is the current Field Ambassador for the Central Florida region. Sanjeev started his red cross involvement this recent (2021) summer and has been an active participant in the weekly Be Red Cross Ready presentations. From there he took his volunteerism to the next level by serving as the Central Florida Region’s Field Ambassador and his club’s Treasurer. Sanjeev Varma enjoys bringing together ideas of many volunteer and other individuals in order to foster an active environment of Red Cross participation and enjoyment. Through his position as Field Ambassador, Sanjeev hopes to work together with other students in order to have a successful year not only as a Field Ambassador, but as an active member of his community and Red Cross Club.
Srijan Oduru
Srijan Oduru is a senior at Green Hope High School and is the Field Ambassador for the Eastern North Carolina Region. He began volunteering as a Red Cross Blood Donor Ambassador in middle school and is now a Regional Committee Member and a volunteer in his school’s Red Cross Club. Srijan’s favorite part of being a Red Cross volunteer is connecting personally with other volunteers, whether they be teenagers or senior citizens. As a Field Ambassador, he is especially excited to work in concert with the National Youth Council to promote initiatives on a national scale, and to collaborate with the regional Board of Directors and Youth Engagement Team to support regional youth volunteer clubs. Outside of the Red Cross, Srijan is highly interested in biology, loves listening to music and plays the harmonium, and can be frequently found in his driveway playing basketball.
Vybhavi Kotireddy
Vybhavi, a senior at Alpharetta High School, is the Field Ambassador for the Georgia Region. As she volunteered at her first blood drive during the summer of her freshman year. There, she enjoyed positive interactions and impactful service and was inspired to begin her Red Cross journey. Since then, she has become an active volunteer involved with various projects, including fundraisers and youth action campaigns. Vybhavi also serves as a Volunteer Recruitment Team member and finds it exciting to facilitate the onboarding process for new members. She has initiated the launch of the Georgia Youth Advisory Council, which she now leads with a team of members. She also serves as the Vice President of her high school club, in which she has organized Disaster Preparedness Fundraisers, Card projects, and kit drives, as well as other activities. Vybhavi hopes to continue encouraging youth involvement and facilitate greater communication across clubs. She is excited to work with many other leaders and make lasting relationships!
Yuvraj Bhallar
Yuvraj began his Red Cross Journey in 2019. In this time, he has worked on numerous regional and national projects in Volunteer Services, Information Technology, Disaster Cycle Services, Biomedical Services, International Services and Finance. It is a true joy for him to serve in so many capacities and to make a difference. He possesses great interpersonal skills and is a team player. When Yuvraj is not volunteering for the Red Cross, he enjoys reading, playing basketball, swimming, and golfing. He is ecstatic to be working with other Field Ambassadors and with the National Youth Council.
For more information on the Field Ambassador program, please visit this page.
