Razi Aftab, a first-year student at University of California Los Angeles studying Electrical Engineering and Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, is not your average college student. Since December 2021, he has dedicated countless hours to the American Red Cross, rising as a trailblazer in youth volunteerism. His extraordinary commitment was nationally recognized when he received the Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership at the Red Cross National Awards celebration in Washington, D.C. in April of this year.
The award, named after the late Navin Narayan—a visionary youth volunteer and advocate—honors one young person annually between the ages of 15 to 24 who demonstrates exceptional leadership, service and dedication to the Red Cross mission. Representing the Northern California Coastal Region, Razi exemplifies these values through his extensive and impactful involvement with the organization at both regional and national levels.
Razi’s Red Cross journey began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Encouraged by his mother and inspired by a desire to give back, he joined the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Youth Action Campaign. The campaign, which educates youth about the rules of armed conflict, sparked a lasting interest in humanitarian service and opened the door to many more roles within the Red Cross.
Growing up in the small town of Jagraon in Punjab, India, Amarjot Toor witnessed firsthand what it means to live without access to basic healthcare. In his rural neighborhood, a doctor’s visit was a luxury many families couldn’t afford. People often turned to home remedies or simply endured their suffering in silence. Conditions like Alzheimer’s, which touched Amarjot’s own family, were deeply misunderstood, mislabeled as superstition or dismissed entirely. There were no local specialists, no awareness campaigns, and no lifelines for those silently struggling.
Amarjot enjoys a sunset view of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge.
These early experiences left a mark that wouldn’t fade. When Amarjot moved to the United States in 2017 as a 6th grader, he carried those memories with him. In 8th grade, during a visit to a Red Cross blood drive in Vacaville, something shifted. He saw how a single unit of donated blood could save lives. He watched how people came together to support strangers they’d never meet. For Amarjot, it sparked a powerful realization: that humanitarian service could make a difference—and that he wanted to be a part of it.
“Now, I have a chance to be part of something that does more than just raise awareness, it saves lives.”
Shivang visited the American Red Cross National Headquarters in D.C. “When I was in D.C. for the AAPI+ Resources Group convention, I saw how dedicated everyone was. These people were volunteering their own time on top of their actual day-to-day jobs to help support AAPI+ and other resource groups. It made me feel like I was part of a family, not part of a corporation,” he said. Photo courtesy of Shivang Pasi
From holding a cybersecurity internship, to attending a compelling diversity conference in Washington D.C. to becoming an active member of a national resource group, Shivang Pasi exemplifies how one can make an impact in several ways within the American Red Cross in a short time. Shivang is one of over 275,000 American Red Cross volunteers from across the country who has engaged with the organization’s humanitarian mission, though he never expected himself to be this involved when he started.
Shivang’s journey as a Red Crosser began the summer of 2024 when he secured a cybersecurity internship with the organization’s Northern California Coastal Region, which serves more than 10 million people across 15 counties from Monterey to Sonoma. As a current fourth year student at San Jose State University, Shivang was drawn to specialize in cybersecurity because of his love for puzzle solving.
On a typical Wednesday morning, having more than one hundred eighth graders seated on the auditorium floor might not seem out of the ordinary. However, witnessing them perform synchronized CPR maneuvers while learning to save lives is impressive. On October 22, the local Red Cross Training Services Team, in partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) and Dozier-Libbey Medical High School (DLMHS), hosted a record-setting youth CPR/AED certification event for nearly 350 eighth-grade students over two 90-minute sessions at Antioch’s Park Middle School.
Saniya Chandy and her father and inspiration, Ramnik Chandy. Photo courtesy of Saniya Chandy
Every individual has their own unique life story that has shaped them into the person they are today. The experiences we encounter on this journey of life often play a major part in shaping our future decisions. Saniya Chandy shares her experience as a Red Crosser and how her father inspired her to further pursue a career in healthcare.
At the young age of 15, Saniya began to volunteer with the Red Cross in 2022. After witnessing her father’s passion for nursing grow when he took his First Aid/CPR training course, she too was motivated to take a similar endeavor. She quicky took a First Aid/CPR training course that certified her to be a part of the American Canyon Junior Lifeguard Program and began her Red Cross journey shortly thereafter.
Her inspiration to support our humanitarian mission comes from her father, Ramnik Chandy, a psychiatric nurse. “My dad’s journey has instilled my faith in selfless service and the joy that comes from helping others,” she states. “I’ve heard countless stories from my father about the mentally ill patients he has worked with and the positive connections he has made with them. However, none of that would be possible if programs like the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association didn’t exist.” Both these organizations have shaped their passion for psychiatric medicine through training and volunteer opportunities, enabling them to be advocates for equitable care, regardless of any barriers one may face.
When Saniya was younger, she had the perception that only adults had the chance to make a significant impact in the community as a volunteer, since many organizations she hoped to volunteer for did not accept her because of her age. But that changed when she found the Red Cross.
“I was accepted with open arms to receive the CPR/AED certification from the Red Cross. Being put in realistic scenarios, from treating scrapes and burns, to drowning victim rescue situations, made me adaptable and more capable to handle stressful situations while caring for those experiencing medical emergencies,” she explains.
Ramnik shares his delight that his daughter is continuing a similar career path and states, “As nurses, we have the opportunity to heal the body, however, all humans are given the unique ability to understand others and exercise our empathy through selfless service.” Saniya’s Red Cross experience as a volunteer allowed her to connect with her father, pursuing medicine as a professional career while truly understanding the passion to give back in a variety of roles with the Red Cross.
“One memorable Red Cross experience I hold dear is writing letters to veterans during a meeting,” Saniya says. She was extremely joyful about giving service members the appreciation they deserve. “It goes to show that even as teenagers, the work we do behind the scenes matters just as much.”
Volunteers carry out 90% of the humanitarian work of the Red Cross. Here in the Northern California Coastal Region, over 7,000 committed individuals like Saniya turn their compassion into action helping us to strengthen their communities. If you want to join Saniya, learn more here.
Photo Courtesy of Connor Siu, Yesha Sacatani, and Monisha Raju
Every individual grows up in a different community–the Red Cross, as a global organization, encompasses so many stories from these divergent backgrounds. Being able to give back to their communities and make an impact is a great gift for volunteers. That’s why so many youth have resonated with the American Red Cross to serve as members of the Youth Executive Board (YEB), like Connor Siu, Yesha Sacatani, and Monisha Raju from North Bay and Heart of the Valley Chapters (NBC/HOV). The variety of ways in which these youth volunteers have been influenced by their communities is what inspires their distinctive journey:
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