The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago is recognizing Aparnaa Ananthakrishnan, a Northwestern University student, as the 2025 Blood Services Hero. Ananthakrishnan, aged 19, has been instrumental in organizing blood donation drives across college campuses in the Midwest. Currently in her second year at Northwestern, Ananthakrishnan is a double major in global health and biology, aspiring to a medical career.
In her capacity as the National Collegiate Officer for the Red Cross’ North Central Division, Ananthakrishnan initiated the Spring Collegiate Blood Drives in 2024. This initiative helped student leaders establish blood drives at 17 universities in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, culminating in the collection of 686 units of blood. These donations have the potential to save over 2,000 lives, according to Red Cross estimates. The initiative is now expanding to more campuses.
A key motivation for Ananthakrishnan's efforts is her personal experience. "My grandmother has been needing blood regularly for surgeries related to arthritis," she explained. Her early exposure to the importance of blood donation spurred her to co-found a Red Cross club in her high school and later take on a leadership role at Northwestern.
Ananthakrishnan's academic pursuits are intertwined with her volunteer work. At Northwestern, she takes classes at an immunology lab in the Feinberg School of Medicine, further building her path toward medical school. "The lab experience has been phenomenal," she remarked, expressing gratitude for the support from the university.
An Aurora, Illinois native, Ananthakrishnan will celebrate her 20th birthday on April 29, one day before being honored at the Red Cross annual Heroes Breakfast in Chicago. She is available for interviews leading up to this event.