Field Ambassadors
2018-2019 Field Ambassadors
Candice Lee
Candice is the Field Ambassador representing the Northern California Coastal Region. She is a student at Castro Valley High School. She began her Red Cross journey after attending a Refugee Simulation event as she was inspired to be part of the humanitarian effort. She currently serves as the Spirit & Publicity Coordinator of the East Bay Red Cross Youth Executive Board. In this position, she creates and sends out monthly newsletter for the chapter, organize monthly social events, and runs volunteer recognition projects on social media. She is also part of the International Services Department of the national headquarter. She helps to coordinate the Missing Maps project, which aims to locate and trace disaster-affected communities on an editable, online mapping platform that would help humanitarian organization like the Red Cross to provide disaster relief in a more efficient way. Candice is committed to increasing local youth engagement as well as creating a diverse and inclusive Red Cross community.
Bernadete Rudovic
Bernadete is the first Field Ambassador to represent the Eastern New York region. She is a senior at John Jay High School in Hopewell Junction, New York. Her Red Cross experience began when she founded the Red Cross Club as a sophomore at her school. Bernadete now serves as the president of her club for three years. She looks forward to working with the National Youth Council and other field ambassadors throughout the country to increase youth involvement. She strives to implement programs that could attract new youth volunteers in her region, as well as, aid in enhancing already existing ones. She acts as the youth liaison for her region, advocates for youth opportunities, and works with other clubs in her region to overcome any challenges they face. She plans to continue her Red Cross journey in college where she will continue her commitment to helping others in any way possible.
Jiyoun Roh
I’m Jiyoun Roh, a student at Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, California. I began my Red Cross journey when I attended the Red Cross Leadership Development Camp (LDC) as I was going into high school. The experience led to my involvement in my high school Red Cross club and beginning my sophomore year, my service as the club liaison–an ambassador between the chapter and the high school clubs–in the Glendale Youth Corps. I have also come back to LDC every year as a staff member, and interned with the Disaster Cycles Services Department last summer. Currently, I am a leader within my high school Red Cross club and the disaster preparedness officer for Glendale Youth Corps. I hope to make the best of my role as a Field Ambassador in the LA Region, and continue with the Red Cross for as long as I can, serving not only those who need help, but the various members within my region.
Alison Oh
Alison Oh is a junior at Urbana High School in Frederick, Maryland. She first joined the Red Cross as a volunteer in her freshman year of high school, became secretary of her school club in her sophomore year, and is currently club president. Additionally, this year she has begun national work with the Red Cross by helping integrate initiatives across the region and planning future projects as chair of the Greater Chesapeake Region’s Youth Advisory Board in its first year and creating regional projects, acting as a liaison between regional and national levels, and expanding youth outreach regional representative as a Field Ambassador. She currently spends about 2 hours a week actively working with the Red Cross, though she hopes to increase involvement with the charity in the future and looks forward to the work she has ahead of her.
Arrshia Kumar
Arrshia Kumar is a junior at Robbinsville High School in Robbinsville, New Jersey. She began her Red Cross
journey in middle school when she became a Blood Services Donor Ambassador. She continues to volunteer with blood services by hosting Leaders Save Lives blood drives. In high school, she joined her school’s Red Cross Club, where she currently serves as the president. Arrshia is also the Facilitator for the New Jersey Club Consortium. Their goal is to support the Red Cross Clubs in New Jersey by facilitating communication and providing mentorship to help each club reaching its individual goals throughout the year. Outside of the Red Cross, Arrshia hosts food drives for the Mercer Street Friends. She loves photography, travel, and watching movies. She plans to pursue a career in finance and economics.
Liz Radway
Liz Radway, a junior at Indian Hill High School, has always been passionate about helping others. She began her journey with the Red Cross through Leadership Development Camp and is currently serving her third year as a counselor. Liz was struck by the amazing impact that she could have on people through the Red Cross and immediately began to serve through this Red Cross Community in every way possible: helping to establish Red Cross Clubs, Sound the Alarm Events, and more. Outside of the American Red Cross, Liz is a pre-professional dancer and Treasurer for BEST an internationally aiding 501c3 (pending) non-profit organization. She is so excited to be able to join the Field Ambassador team this year and cannot wait to spread the mission of the Red Cross to her region.
Anushka Gupta
Anushka Gupta is a senior at Cypress Ranch High School and serves as the Executive Chair for the Texas Gulf Coast Region Red Cross Youth Service Council for the 2018- 2019 academic year. She has served as Communications and Logistics chair in 2016 and 2017 on the council. Anushka began her journey with the Red Cross at the start of freshman year as the founder and president of the Red Cross Club at Cy Ranch High School. On her regional council, she has helped organize Leadership Development Conferences, planned many socials, and implemented fundraisers for disaster victims. She also helped students start a Red Cross club at the newest high school in her school district- Bridgeland High School. In 2016, Anushka was awarded the Rising Star Youth Award. During her sophomore summer, she interned with the IT Department’s SWaRM Sharepoint Support Team, working on creating a refined national website for ERVs. The team earned the American Red Cross Presidential Award of Excellence for their work.
Pranay Gundam
Pranay is the Field Ambassador for the North Texas Region. Pranay Gundam is a student at Plano West High School in Plano, Texas. He began his Red Cross journey when he became a Red Cross volunteer and started a club sophomore year. At school, he served as Co-President and headed various fundraising activities, awareness campaigns, and community involvement activities. Aside from his club at school, Pranay has also volunteered as a Blood Ambassador and currently acts as the Regional Youth Engagement Leader for North Texas as which he has steadily increased the North Texas youth support network. Pranay is the first ambassador to represent the North Texas region. He looks forward to lifelong service with the American Red Cross and plans to pursue a career in economic research. Contact Pranay at [email protected].
Sraddha Samantula
Sraddha Samantula, a senior at Irvine High School, currently serves as the Youth Fundraising Lead for the Orange County Youth Services Department’s Youth Advisory Council and a field ambassador for the Desert to the Sea Region. Throughout her four years with the American Red Cross, she has served as president of the Irvine High Red Cross Club, staffed her region’s Leadership Development Camp, and served as a blood donor ambassador. She has been recognized with the Orange County Red Cross Youth Services Shining Star Award.
As president of the Irvine High Red Cross, she involved her club members in various community events, ranging from bake sales to support hurricane relief to large-scale Sound the Alarm campaigns.
When she was a member of the OC Youth Services Fundraising Committee, she and seven other committee members raised over 2000 dollars to support Leadership Development Camp scholarships. Presently, she leads the Fundraising Committee, and is on track to raise a total of 3000 dollars for the American Red Cross.
Hayoung Jung
Hayoung Jung is the Field Ambassador for the Cascades Region. He is currently a senior at Union High School in Vancouver, Washington and is serving as the President of the Southwest Washington Red Cross Youth Council. Hayoung began his Red Cross journey by joining his high school club, where he served as the President in junior year. During his time as President, he facilitated several school events such as Trick-Or-Treat for Disaster and blood drives. For his work, Hayoung was awarded “American Red Cross High School Scholarship” by the local Red Cross chapter. So far, as the President of the Council, he already organized a disaster-relief fundraiser and facilitated many “Service to the Armed Forces” events. He is looking forward to organizing the region’s Leadership Development Conference, blood drives, and more. Outside of Red Cross, Hayoung enjoys playing percussion and likes to listen to Korean-Pop.
Matt Ferrante
Matt Ferrante is a junior at Community School of Naples (CSN) in Naples, Florida. He began his Red Cross work after taking part in a simulation as a child soldier for a humanitarian organization when he was a freshman. He was selected as a Global Scholar at his high school which required involvement in an international organization. As a well known humanitarian organization, the Red Cross seemed to be a great choice. Shortly after becoming a volunteer, his region was struck by Hurricane Irma. He assisted in disbursing necessary items to people in need and became more active. Since his school does not have a Red Cross club, he has teamed up with a freshman at CSN, Charlie Davis, to develop an action plan to get involved. The first activity was a partnership with Red Cross and Arthrex called Holiday for Heroes. The next initiative is to host a mapathon at CSN to introduce students to missing maps and have them learn about the Red Cross.
Blake Kinney
Blake Kinney is a member of the YEB Board, the Franklin High School Red Cross Club Vice President, and a new Field Ambassador.
Blake is a honors student at Franklin High School, who actively participates with the Red Cross and the band council. As a transfer student from Westmont High School in Campbell, California, he worked hard to fit into a new community during junior and senior year at Franklin High, but quickly adapted and loved spending time in this new community. Besides his dedication to Red Cross, Blake has extended himself to becoming a full lifeguard, actively certified since 2015. His journey started in ninth grade at Red Cross club, avidly interested in helping the community and learning how to make a difference. Blake’s executive journey began after Leadership Development Camp in the summer of 2018, where he got a taste for the Red Cross executive world and eagerly wanted to contribute and help the community. Currently, he serves as Field Ambassador to the Gold Country Region, enjoying meeting new people and volunteering in the community. Anything from planning to helping directly in the community, Blake will always be there, ready to help. Filled with exuberance and dedication, Blake looks forward to working with the Red Cross and the community. Please feel free to Blake Kinney at [email protected].
Namrata Rajaraman
Namrata is the Field Ambassador for the Eastern North Carolina Region. She is a senior at Enloe High School and the president of her school’s Red Cross club. She acts as a youth liaison for her chapter, advocates to expand youth volunteer opportunities, and participates in events including blood drives and Sound the Alarm. Namrata began her journey with the American Red Cross as a high school freshman, when she began volunteering at local blood centers and witnessed the key role that the American Red Cross played in the recovery from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Navya Bingi
Navya is currently a sophomore attending Northview High School in Duluth. She began her Red Cross journey by joining the Metro Atlanta Red Cross Youth Club as a freshman, and pursued her Red Cross career by getting more involved in the different service projects and by becoming the Secretary for this club. She also had the opportunity to become a VIPC volunteer, and enjoyed encouraging more and more people to join the family! She had received the opportunity to become the 2018-2019 Field Ambassador for the Georgia region and is looking forward to a year of fun and success. As Navya gained experience with the Red Cross, she was able to dig deeper into the Red Cross values and goals, and she is now working her hardest to increase awareness and implement more service projects to give back to the community.
Portia Bhattacharjee
Portia Bhattacharjee began volunteering for the Red Cross as a Disaster Action Team member and Caseworker. Through serving a family displaced by a mobile home fire without a smoke detector, she realized that there needed to be an increase in preparedness measures in her region
. As there also weren’t many Red Cross opportunities for youth in her community, she led the change by founding a Red Cross Club at her high school and aiding local high schools to do the same. She is now the current president of her Red Cross Club, as well as the Field Relations Head for her region’s Youth Advisory Board where her main goals are to continue expanding youth volunteering and preparedness measures by extending Red Cross events to her region such as blood drives and Home Fire Campaigns.
Lady Dorothy Elli
Lady is currently a senior at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Arizona. She has been with Red Cross for five years. For three of those five years, she was actively involved with the activities of the Bacolod City Red Cross Chapter in the Philippines. She was the co-head of her school’s Red Cross Club and the local chapter’s Vice Chairperson for Council Management and Development. She was also chosen to be a youth facilitator during Leadership Development Programs (LDPs), where she would train active Red Cross Youth members from different high schools and universities in her province. In 2017, she received the Most Outstanding Red Cross Youth award in her local chapter. Her experiences in hosting and creating programs for Red Cross Youth events (camps, blood drives, leadership development programs, and council activities) enabled her to embrace the organization even as she moved to the United States in 2017. At present, she is the president and founder of one of the most active Red Cross clubs in Tucson, and she is also the Field Ambassador for the Southern Arizona region. In college, she plans to study pre-medicine, global public health, and public policy to further develop her career path. She hopes to become a neurosurgeon in the near future, and she also wishes to improve the education and medical scene in rural areas and provinces in the Philippines and in less fortunate areas around the world. Since Red Cross Youth did not only strengthen her fascination for medicine but also her skills in leadership and service, she hopes to work with Red Cross Youth councils around the world and harness their skills to be able to help less privileged areas that have little access to education and healthcare.
Julia Yang
A born and raised San Diego native, Julia Yang is a student at Canyon Crest Academy. In her freshman year, she became a member of her school’s Red Cross club and assumed the role of president the following year. Julia has also served as a Blood Donor Ambassador, where she directed blood drives while educating the public on the need for donated blood. She was also selected to join the San Diego Red Cross Youth Council where she planned numerous county-wide events including fundraisers, networking events, leadership workshops, preparedness orientations, etc. In recognition of her work, she was awarded Rookie of the Year by her chapter in 2017. As a Student Trainee of the American Red Cross under the Youth Services department, she facilitated in the organization of her chapter’s Leadership Development Camp and Club Officer Training, including the creation of its handbook. Currently, she is the Chair of the San Diego Youth Council, where she supervises a committee comprised of chairs from multiple departments of the Red Cross. As a Field Ambassador for the San Diego/Imperial Counties region, she aims to expand the amount of impactful volunteering opportunities available to youth in the area. Contact Julia at [email protected].
For more information on the Field Ambassador program, please visit this page.
