- October 19, 2022
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In being a SunCoast Blood Centers volunteer, Maya Gilkison remembered answering one very special call.
It was a donor who explained to her his commitment to the organization. He told her why he donates blood — because his brother was in a motorcycle accident and died.
“I started to tear up because it was emotional for him to share that,” said Gilkison, who is a Lakewood Ranch High School junior. “He’s been through so much and for him, (donating) helps keep his brother’s memory alive.”
Whether as a volunteer or now an employee of SunCoast Blood Centers, the 16-year-old Gilkison said hearing the personal stories of donors makes her involvement in the organization even more valuable.
“I definitely know we’re a small piece of the puzzle here, but anything we can do will help someone,” Gilkison said. “It means a lot knowing we’re helping out the community.”
Gilkison, along with Lakewood Ranch High School’s Maya Kopija, Isaiah Schulz and Ryniah Milner, work in SunCoast Blood Centers’ blood lab, giving them experience that Kopija said will provide them with an advantage when it comes to their futures.
Kopija, Gilkison and Schulz all started as volunteers, calling people to ask if they would become donors, or thanking them for being donors. Kopija and Gilkison started volunteering in February while Schulz started in May. The girls were hired to work in the lab to conduct data entry for hospital billing in May, and Schulz started as a student community ambassador Aug. 12.
Kopija said those calls gave her an opportunity to build a small connections, even through a 30-second phone call. If someone agreed to donate, they would ring a bell to celebrate.
Knowing the blood is sent to local hospitals also left an impression on Kopija.
“You could be helping your friend, your friend’s parents, anybody,” she said. “There’s a deeper connection.”
Joan Leonard, a community liaison at SunCoast Blood Centers, said the empathy the high school students demonstrate is impressive.
While working in the lab, Schulz said the most impactful moment for him is attaching the green heart-shaped cards with QR codes to the blood bags. The codes allow recipients to thank donors.
Schulz started volunteering for the blood center after his family moved from Hawaii to Lakewood Ranch in January as a result of their home burning down during the fires in Maui. He wanted a way to give back to the community.
Gilkison, Kopija and Milner all want to explore the medical field after graduating from high school.
Gilkison and Kopija would like to become physician assistants, possibly specializing in dermatology while Milner plans to become a licensed practical nurse.
Kopija said working in the blood center gives them a glimpse into what it could be like working in the medical field, even if it’s small.
Milner hopes to follow in her parents’ footsteps. Her father, Ryan Milner, works as a phlebotomist for SunCoast Blood Centers, and her mother, Latoya Milner, is a travel nurse.
“I feel like I have it in my blood,” Milner said.
Milner said working at the blood center is helping her pursue a potential career in the medical field, but more importantly, she’s helping people in the community.
Kopija said already working in the medical field will look impressive on college applications.
Gilkison also said working at the nonprofit has helped her to be accepted in organizations such as National Honor Society and Student Government Association, which are both competitive organizations.
Volunteering for SunCoast Blood Centers provided the volunteer hours the high schoolers needed to meet requirements for the Bright Futures scholarship program.
Kopija’s involvement in the nonprofit has her thinking of other ways she can impact the community. For her capstone program, she has decided to research what can be done to get more high school students involved in blood donations and to increase the percentage of people donating overall.
