Read Sjogren's essay on her work with the American Red Cross.
By Andrea Sjogren ’06
Every two seconds, someone in the United States receives a blood transfusion. Following an accident or due to pregnancy complications, cancer treatments or a variety of other emergencies, millions of people each year would not survive without a life–giving blood product. Every unit of blood that is given to patients in their time of need must come from a volunteer donor — a relatively healthy person willing to spare a pint. This is where I come in.
As an American Red Cross employee in the donor recruitment department, it is my role to educate the community on this important need — and to provide opportunities for people to donate this life-saving gift. My responsibility is a combination of educating the community and promoting the need of organizations to host blood drives and donate blood.
My path to the Red Cross began nearly six years ago as a work-study opportunity, a job to pay my tuition bills. In October 2003, I began working as an office assistant at the Piedmont Carolina Chapter. After less than 30 minutes in my new job, I became the Blood Services Administrator and was responsible for most of the paperwork behind each blood drive.
I graduated from Elon in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and was immediately offered a full-time, salaried position with the American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region. This new position briefly took me away from the Burlington area and was a stepping-stone to my current position.
I didn’t exactly choose my role with the American Red Cross, and I never expected to spend the last six years working for this organization. But as I began to delve deeper into the world of biomedical services, I discovered a desire to do more than what was required of a typical office assistant, as well as a passion for the people I was serving.
Since I started my career with the American Red Cross, I have had numerous opportunities to meet those directly affected by my work. There is nothing like shaking hands with a blood recipient and hearing their stories of overcoming tragedy with help from the Red Cross. I also have been able to speak with the families whose loved ones have used a blood product and met the generous blood donors from all walks of life who roll up their sleeves to give life.
Before I began working for this national organization, I had a general idea of what the American Red Cross did in local communities. Today, I have a deep knowledge of each of the three main service areas — emergency services, health and safety services and blood services. With this knowledge, I can safely say that every employee and volunteer working at any level in the American Red Cross is a true hometown hero in every sense of the word.
Every day, I have the incredible blessing to know that my work has truly made a difference in someone’s life. Despite the typical office struggles and stressors (yes, even we have these!), I sleep peacefully at night after breathing a sigh of relief and saying a prayer of thanks for the lives the American Red Cross has touched today.