Madonna University softball student-athlete Amber Rafko (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) is one of 13 student-athletes that have been selected to participate in the 2010-2011 Red Cross/NAIA Collegiate Leadership Program. The initiative is now in its fourth year, and will inspire, motivate and create a new and diverse generation of American Red Cross volunteers and leaders through exemplifying the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program.

As part of its support of the Red Cross diversity initiatives, State Farm Insurance is sponsoring this partnership. The leadership program kicks off with two weeks of energetic training at the Red Cross National Headquarters located in Washington, D.C. from June 7 to June 18. The incoming class will participate in a rare and unique opportunity to acquire first-hand coaching, mentoring and professional leadership training presented by one of the nation's largest non-profit organizations' senior leaders. In addition, Dr. Rob Haworth, NAIA Vice President for Champions of Character, will hold character workshops during the two week leadership academy.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience allows NAIA student-athletes to be a part of a team made up of young adults from NAIA campuses throughout the country. The program is part of a larger Red Cross diversity strategy for moving the Red Cross from awareness to action, building Red Cross capacity to serve all Americans.

Student-athletes will learn from civic and business leaders how to uncover their leadership potential off the field. The participants will organize successful campus blood drives, actively participate on a leadership board, and take part in diversity and cultural competency training. For their efforts, students will receive scholarship support provided by the Red Cross and State Farm Insurance.

Rafko will keep MadonnaCrusaders.com readers updated on her experiences in our nation's capital with a blog from Red Cross headquarters.

June 7 - Day One
Today was very exciting! We woke up and went to a small cafe below our sixth floor rooms and ate the best muffins ever. There are some bright individuals here from all over the nation. There are folks from Mississippi, Nebraska, Indiana California, New York, Georgia, Utah, Oregon, Kansas and MICHIGAN! (me). The past 48 hours has been lots of conversation about names, hometowns, colleges, and sports. 

After breakfast we walked a few blocks to the National Red Cross Headquarters. We met Brian Hamil the National Chair of Biomedical Services and he is a senior volunteer which means he puts in hours and hours of work like a job but for no money at all! I was very amazed. He is full of energy and makes you feel right at home like you have known him for years. We participated in a very funny icebreaker and then proceeded to listen to several speakers after we ate lunch. Which I must say was amazing! The lunch was catered by Corner Bakery and it was so delicious! They had these tasty sub sandwiches, really rich salad, assorted fruit, cookies and brownies, and all sorts of drinks. I was very happy. We get treated very well. We have security tags that we swipe to get into every door. I feel like Pam Landy from the Bourne Identity, except there is not a handsome spy that I have to hunt down. Unless that handsome spy happens to be a potential blood donor! 

Anyway, the first man we met was Michael Brown. He is the Vice President of Corporate and Foundation Partnerships of the American Red Cross. This man knows how to use his cash! He is in charge of a fundraising team that went from total revenue of $44 million four years ago, to a grown revenue of $140 million to date. So he is crazy good at what he does. He said something awesome that "The American Red Cross is not fueled by people's money. The American Red Cross is able to help because of the nation's generosity." He also had some wonderful things so say about character being related to success. 

We then met with Jerry DeFrancisco, the President of Humanitarian Services. He showed us a presentation that explained each branch of the American Red Cross and I really enjoyed learning what specific things that the organization does aside from collect and distribute blood. 

The final man that came and spoke to us was Shaun Gilmore, President of Biomedical Services. You could tell this man was high on the totem pole. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School and has so much experience being the CEO of like three corporations so he had my full attention. The knowledge that these speakers give is very uplifting. They speak in a way that makes you feel confident about yourself. If you didn't feel like a grown-up when you walked in the room you sure did when you left. But at the same time, each one of these men has a sincere appeal to them. Every person the works the American Red Cross does also. It is a bit weird sometimes... but nice to be a part of. Even though someone is in charge of the money that they distribute to communities they remember why they work so hard. They have that character to them. This is just the first day! Ahh! I am already feeling like an important player in a huge organization that can do so much.

We will see what tomorrow brings!
Amber