Young Volunteer Takes Passion for Medicine from Classroom to Community Care
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Cyndralynn Meredith, a Junior at Crete High School, has channeled her passion for helping others and preparing for disasters into so many great projects that people are noticing – people like Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen. Governor Pillen was so impressed with her outstanding dedication to service that he honored her with the Disaster Volunteer Award at the 2024 Step Forward Awards for Volunteerism.
Cyndralynn volunteers with the Southeast Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps, the Southeast Nebraska Community Emergency Response Team, and the American Red Cross First Aid Services Team. All three organizations channel the passion and enthusiasm of young people into meaningful projects that help their communities become healthier, more resilient, and better prepared. These programs also help teens develop their leadership skills and show them aspects of community health that they can’t get from a classroom.
For over 15 years, the Medical Reserve Corps has partnered with the American Red Cross to attract and use the skills of volunteers to promote community health by helping prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Both the Medical Reserve Corps and the Red Cross provide outstanding opportunities to for teens, older adults, and everyone in between to find service opportunities that matter to their communities.
Cyndralynn has grown a passion for helping others and learning how to treat patients, and volunteering has given her some initial experience supporting patient care. As a volunteer, she has supported community events like the Cornhusker State Games, Pumpkin Run, and the Fourth of July celebration in Seward. Some of her favorite venues to be a First Aid volunteer are the Lied Center, Pinnacle Bank Arena, and Pinewood Bowl all in Lincoln, NB. Her passion for promoting health and helping others has translated into valuable contributions to her community through her volunteer efforts, and she has helped make her community a little more prepared for the next emergency.
Cyndralynn plans to attend college and train to become part of the medical field. Volunteering can help students learn about their career options while helping their communities. If you are interested in starting a Junior Medical Reserve Corps unit in your local school or encouraging students to volunteer with your existing Medical Reserve Corps unit, check out the MRC Unit Leader Resources and the Future Health Professionals (HOSA) MRC resources to get started. You can also reach out to your MRC state coordinator to learn more about starting a new unit.