Alumna leads campus blood drive, inspired by personal connections

Kayla Ferreira remembers being a high schooler, sitting beside her mother’s hospital bed and watching her receive blood transfusions. It was that experience that made the community need for donor blood a personal mission for Ferreira – and helped shape her career.

“My mom has an autoimmune disease and had to receive blood transfusions for multiple years,” Ferreira shared. This firsthand experience with the life-saving power of blood donation sparked her interest in the cause.

The Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning at Fresno State partnered with the Central California Blood Center to host a campus blood drive Sept. 17 through 19. The blood drive is one of four hosted annually at Fresno State, with the next one scheduled for Nov. 19 through 21. Ferreira, a special projects coordinator at the Richter Center, is one of the driving forces behind the events.

“We had 432 successful blood donations – the highest number from a campus Blood Drive since September 2018,” Ferreira said of the most recent campus blood drive. “This has the potential to save 1,296 lives. We’re not just collecting blood; we’re gathering hope for patients in need.”

Ferreira’s involvement with campus blood drives began in 2021 when she started volunteering for the Central California Blood Center. Her initial role included distributing flyers, sharing social media posts and providing snacks to donors. As she became more comfortable with the process, she worked up the courage to donate blood herself.

“I remember being so nervous my first time,” Ferreira recalls. “But the staff was incredibly supportive, and once I realized how easy and impactful it was, I became committed to being a lifelong donor.”

Ferreira’s commitment to the cause deepened when she lost her childhood friend, Asher Gallegos, to germ cell cancer in 2022. “Seeing that was a real shock. It was the first person I had gone to school with for so long that lost their battle,” she said. 

Understanding that cancer patients often benefit from blood donations, Ferreira found a way to honor her friend’s memory. 

“Losing Asher made me understand that behind every donation, there’s a story, a life hanging in the balance,” she said. “It pushed me to overcome my own fears about donating and to encourage others to do the same.”

After graduating from Fresno State in spring 2023 with a degree in liberal studies, Ferreira joined the Richter Center]. In her role, she oversees campus blood drives, bringing her experience as both a volunteer and donor to inspire others.

Ferreira’s personal connection to the cause allows her to empathize with first-time donors who might be nervous. “I recommend bringing someone with you,” she said. “It’s helpful to have moral support, preferably someone who has donated before.”

She also encourages open communication with the staff. “Let them know you’re nervous. They’re incredibly supportive and can even let you watch someone else go through the process first if that helps you feel more comfortable.”

As for the future, Ferreira and her team have ambitious goals. “We’re aiming to surpass last year’s total of about 1,300 donors over our four annual drives,” she said. “We’ve already doubled our number of student blood drive ambassadors, which is really exciting.”

“Whether you donated, volunteered, or spread the word, you were part of something bigger,” Ferreira said. “You were part of a community that saves lives, one donation at a time.”

For more information on how to get involved, contact Kayla Ferreira at kferreira@csufresno.edu.

(Story by Katie Xiong, student assistant in University Marketing and Communications)