In September, EducationUSA worked with Competitive College Club (CCC) and Opportunity Funds (OF) cohort students to organize a blood drive in Islamabad and Lahore.
CCC students represent the top 10 percent of their respective classes and are nominated by school counselors before undergoing an extensive application process. Similarly, OF students represent the brightest of their respective classes and are nominated by counselors, but also have financial needs and require assistance with the up-front costs associated with U.S. applications, such as standardized test fees and application fees.
Both cohorts emphasize extracurricular profile building to give students’ college applications an edge. Organizing the blood drives provided participating students with an opportunity to take on leadership roles in collaboration with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society in Islamabad, the Forman Christian College and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Lahore. This year, the students who volunteered to arrange the blood drives set up, attended planning meetings, designed flyers to publicize the event, spread the word in their own schools, and were on-hand during the event.
In Islamabad, the blood drive was held at the USEFP office on September 4, where the Pakistan Red Crescent Society set up a blood collection room with screening stations to determine whether donors were eligible to donate. A total of 18 donors, including CCC students and their parents, successfully gave blood.
An inaugural blood drive event was held in Lahore on September 18, where 180 willing donors were screened, of whom 121 successfully donated blood. The blood drive attracted donors from various local schools and organizations and was a success for EducationUSA and event partners. Cultural Affairs Assistant (Educational Adviser) at the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, Sumayya Tariq, attended the event and donated blood.
121 people successfully donated blood through the blood drive organized by USEFP in Lahore
“Given the positive response from the attendants, a larger number of donors can be expected in any future blood drive administered at the Lahore office,” says EducationUSA Lahore advisor Aman Bashir.
The next Competitive College Club cohort will be inducted in 2020. Stay informed by liking our Facebook page. If you’re interested in pursuing higher education in the U.S., email advising@usefpakistan.org for your 5 Steps to U.S. Study plan! Visit our website for more information on USEFP’s scholarship and exchange programs.
