After seeing a campus-wide email sent by USAO’s Financial Aid office, Harry Cracknell applied for the Red Cross Collegiate Leadership, which earned him a $2,000 scholarship and a two-week trip to Washington D.C. where he would learn more about the organization.

Cracknell was one of 14 other students in the program, who came from small universities across the country. He said that each had the common goal to try to do some good in the world and that everyone’s attitude made it easy to click.

By the end of the two-week trip, Cracknell and his fellow classmates had to present their plan for hosting blood drives on their campuses.

“I plan on creating a Red Cross Club on campus to serve the mission of the Red Cross and strategize ways of promoting our blood drives. The first drive will be sometime during November,” Cracknell said on his plan. “Anyone is welcome to join the Red Cross Club, especially those who enjoy helping others. I hope that one day, USAO will have a newfound culture of giving blood regularly because it is ALWAYS in demand.”

The program, which began June 4, brought the students to the steps of the Red Cross Headquarters, where Cracknell said they spent the majority of the trip. He said they each learned about one another and their respective stories, as well as stories from leading American Red Cross officials, including CEO Gail McGovern, Kansas City Chiefs’ Drue Tranquill, and Executive Director of the NCCAA Dan Wood.

The group also participated in various diversity workshops and discussed “Dare To Serve: How To Drive Superior Results By Serving Others” by Cheryl Bachelder, former Popeyes’ CEO. The agenda continued as the group met with Senators and Representatives from Tennessee and New Hampshire, in which public service, leadership, and community involvement was discussed.

“This program takes place every year and I would highly recommend anyone applying because [you] just never know what impact it might have on you. It’s more than just a scholarship, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime and it taught me more than I ever thought I’d learn,” Cracknell said.

While the trip was relatively short, Cracknell came away with a lengthy list of knowledge. A few takeaways that he considered key include:

• “We know a tiny part of someone upon meeting them – don’t be so quick to judge!”
• “When the team wins, EVERYBODY wins!”
• “Humility is not being a doormat; it is simply thinking less about our own needs and more about the needs of others.”

Cracknell continued sharing other lessons he learned along the way, such as asking why you are doing what you are doing. He explained that a lot of times people ask what you are doing or studying or where you are going, but rarely why. He said that for those who are unsure of their next step they should ask themselves why, and that the question might be helpful when considering the next step.

“There are a lot of people who dream of doing what I get to do every day so never take it for granted. Thank those people regularly who helped me grow and become better,” Cracknell said, as gratefulness also came to mind as a lesson learned.

While most of the trip was geared towards educating the students, it was also full of touring the city and building memories together. Cracknell said he had no idea that he would spend his summer in D.C. with what he would now call his best friends. The group of friends visited most of the Smithsonian Museums, the botanical garden, the zoo, and various memorials, such as the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. A place that Cracknell highly recommended was George’s King Falafel + Cheesesteaks; he said he ate there four times during his stay.

Emily Loughridge is a third-year Communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.