Looking at the news, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the seemingly endless chaos and bloodshed that exists throughout the world. From crime to war to indiscriminate violence, it is easy for one to get bogged down by the negativity around you.
The students and faculty of Connally ISD are doing all that they can to fight that impulse. In fact, they’re determined to be someone’s savior.
Connally High School’s HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) sponsored the first of three blood drives for the 2024-2025 school year on Monday, October 14. 66 donors registered for the drive, 42 units were collected, and 41 donors donated blood for the first time.
“It’s exciting to see so much participation from the student body this year, especially from so many first-time donors,” CHS Health Sciences Teacher and HOSA Sponsor Destini Stead said. “I’m proud of everyone that signed up to donate and help our drive be so successful.”
While the district has sponsored blood drives for years, the increase in participation in recent years has led to notable accolades.
“This year’s goal is to get 126 successful donations total across the three blood drives we have scheduled,” Stead said. “This will increase the grant check we receive from Carter BloodCare for HOSA from $500.00 for 100 successful donations to $1000.00.”
By aligning the blood drives with the HOSA organization, students in the CHS Health Sciences program of study are able to see the importance of their curriculum in a real life setting.
“I appreciate the blood that I donate goes to people who really need it,” junior Jacob Cornett said. “Being able to help other people out is a huge motivation for me.”
One of the most practical elements of coordinating the blood drive is seeing the importance of the preliminary health qualifications and immediate aftercare of donors. These prerequisites can present challenges at times.
“A unique challenge to this event is juggling all of the things that can prevent someone from donating,” senior Alejandro Lujan said. "Sometimes people will want to donate, but they won’t be able to because of things like not meeting the minimum weight requirement, having too low of iron, or having blood pressure that is too high or low.”
As new sets of students get used to the logistical needs of sponsoring a blood drive, they gain more confidence for future events. Part of that process is a matter of trial and error.
“Since I’m a part of HOSA, I know that donating helps us reach our program goals,” senior Gerardo Hernandez said. “Since I’ve donated in the past, I know that I can successfully donate without any issue. That helps prepare me for each event.”
With the first drive of the year complete, HOSA has already has their eyes set on the next two - scheduled for February 17 and April 21 of 2025. Mrs. Stead believes that’s key to helping each drive be even more successful than the last.
“We hope that students realize how important it is to donate blood,” Stead said. “By the end of the year, I hope that the students that have donated are able to convince other students to become comfortable to sign up and donate, and continue to be blood donors throughout adulthood.”