MEINIG FAMILY CORNELL NATIONAL SCHOLARS
EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD
Mahati Acharya
Arts & Sciences '07
I began my three year term as a member of the American Red Cross National Youth Council this year. The council is composed of 12 young people aged 16-25 from across the country, elected to the council based on their experience with the American Red Cross, their leadership skills, vision for the future of the organization, and recommendations. Members of the American Red Cross National Youth Council are the voice of the American Red Cross youth nationwide. We represent Red Cross youth, advocate of their behalf, and work with National Headquarters to aid the leadership of the organization. My first year on the council has been very meaningful. I have been able to aid the American Red Cross at its highest level of leadership and work with several of its programs. For example, I have worked extensively with the Measles Initiative, a long term commitment to control measles deaths in Africa by vaccinating 200 million children, preventing 1.2 million deaths over five years. I have spread awareness of the initiative by giving several presentations to high schools in New Jersey as well as to my local Red Cross chapter, educating about the disease and assisting student groups in organizing fund-raisers for the initiative. As Director of Special Events, I am working with the Cornell University Red Cross Club in organizing a fund-raiser for the initiative and spreading awareness of the disease around campus through pamphlet distribution, videos, and selling ribbons.
I have also been working to expand opportunities for young people to obtain leadership roles in the American Red Cross. Through the Lead Now program, I have been working to encourage Red Cross chapters nationwide to have Youth members on their Board of Directors. I have also written articles that have appeared on the American Red Cross website, highlighting Youth who have served as leaders throughout the organization. I have helped to plan the Youth Session of this year’s American Red Cross annual National Convention, to be held in St. Louis this May. During this session we will be teaching Red Cross Youth from across the country networking skills, how to become leaders within the organization, and educating them about their potential to make a difference in their community.
I have also had the opportunity, during my term, to initiate my own projects as well- work to see some of my dreams for the organization become a reality. I have felt for many years that the one thing that American Red Cross lacked was a National Youth conference. This is a very ambitious and controversial idea that was abandoned many years ago. I have taken it upon myself to ensure that the council makes its greatest effort to address this need. I have developed a detailed plan for the convention, have presented my ideas to the council, and currently am leading a project planning team in working with National Headquarters, marketing, the National Board of Directors, risk management, etc in making this dream become a reality in the next two years.
The American Red Cross is an organization that is very near to my heart. I have been a volunteer for the past six years. I founded a Red Cross Club in my high school, was a member of my chapter’s Youth Council for three years, serving as President my senior year of high school. I was also the first Youth to serve as a member of my chapter’s Board of Directors. I received the Outstanding Youth Involvement Award for the Central NJ chapter of the American Red Cross in 2002. In May of 2002, as the Navin Narayan National Convention Youth Speaker, I represented Red Cross Youth nationwide at the National Convention. I have delivered several speeches throughout New Jersey and surrounding states advocating for youth involvement in service and speaking of my experiences. Last summer, I was a staff member at a week-long Red Cross sponsored leadership training camp that educated delegates about leadership skills, diversity, and service.
I feel as though I have grown up through the Red Cross. I have learned to be a leader and the value of service to my community. I have also had extensive experience in a variety of different components of the organization such as Disaster Response and Health and Safety, each requiring me to use very different but equally important skills. I have learned empathy, responsibility, and how to lead as well as follow. I have developed my public speaking skills, my ability to delegate work, and my ability to work in a team towards a common goal. I have learned how much I, as a young person, am capable of. I plan to be actively involved with the American Red Cross on campus, locally, nationally, and internationally as long as I possibly can.
