USC alumna Kristen Boyle's job search ended when she passed by a sign for a position at the American Red Cross.
“I saw it, and kinda passed by it, and just couldn’t get it out of my head,” Boyle said.
One of the main reasons Boyle eventually decided to join the Red Cross team was the opportunity to serve others through the career.
“It’s always a very warm-hearted thing to be a part of," she said. "It makes you feel better, like when you get down on yourself, or you’re stressed, or you’re tired, to know that the ultimate goal is to help save people’s lives.”
Now, Boyle is the donor recruitment representative of the Central SC Chapter for the Red Cross. This particular chapter serves Richland and surrounding counties as far as Aiken.
Boyle travels to various places in her district. She said she does most of her work in downtown Columbia, where she sets up blood drives in places such as government offices and business parks. She meets different types of people and works to learn from them.
“I do blood drives at Westinghouse. They gave me a tour and showed me where they make all these parts for nuclear reactors," Boyle said. "The Statehouse is really cool, going in there. One time I was in there and got to meet the lieutenant governor.”
Boyle said she enjoys the flexibility and uniqueness of her job, and she loves the idea of helping so many people while having fun with it.
“I was looking for something that wasn’t such a strict 9-to-5 cubicle, boring-type job," Boyle said. "This stuck out to me because we’re constantly in the community, working with different people.”
Meg Heath, an account manager from the Myrtle Beach Red Cross chapter, said many of her colleagues have witnessed Boyle’s dedication and passion for her position at the American Red Cross.
"She's done a great job. This is her first year really doing it," Heath said.
Frecia Ammons, also an account manager from Myrtle Beach, said Boyle has dealt well with the "big, huge blood drive."
“Kristen has a very positive attitude, in general, throughout our whole working year together," Ammons said. "She’s very informative, a very easy learner who grasps new concepts.”
Her first duty as donor recruitment representative was the Clemson vs. Carolina Blood Battle in November 2018, an event she was familiar with from her time as a student at USC.
“Their passion to beat Clemson, obviously, is advantageous for us, but it’s contagious, as well," she said. "We really have a lot of fun, we work on it all year; they worked so hard. They’re very influential, to me, to kind of keep going.”
The Clemson vs. Carolina Blood Drive "is one of the biggest blood drives in the Southeast," she said.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize that by donating one pint, you can save up to three lives," Boyle said. "With a drive like this, where we collect 2,500 to 3,000 units, you’re talking about helping just so many people in one week.”