My name is Olivia Swanson. I am a parishioner at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Litchfield, CT and I have just graduated from Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury, CT. I found out through the National Honor Society about the four blood drives held a year at my High School. I knew right away that I wanted to be involved because my grandfather had a rare blood disease where he had to often get blood transfusions. Thanks to many people who gave blood, he was able to stay alive longer and with less suffering than he might have. I have always wanted to be a blood donor to try and help people just like my grandfather.
When I was inducted into the National Honor Society in March of 2009, I actively participated in each blood drive held at my high school. I did not turn seventeen until December of 2009, so I was not eligible to give blood for all of the blood drives in 2009. I knew that as soon as I turned seventeen I would do the next blood drive at my school. At the blood drive on January 29th, 2010, I gave blood for the first time. It gave me such a wonderful feeling knowing that I was going to be helping three lives. After giving blood I was able to meet some wonderful people involved with the Red Cross and the Bob’s High School Heroes Scholarship program. I was actually chosen several months later as one of the scholarship winners for Bob’s High School Heroes.
Around this time I also discovered I was one of a few select dancers chosen internationally to attend the University of Hartford, The Hartt School for Dance. I have spent the last 13 years dancing with the Woodbury Academy of Ballet and the Woodbury Ballet Company. I spent the last two summers dancing with the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive. Dance and school work have been my life. I have worked hard at both of these, to become the very best that I could be. My best has been good enough to put me in the top 20% of my High School class, a member of the National Honor Society and I was cast dancing in lead roles in ballets and competitions (often the youngest ever to perform these roles), and of course, the honor of being chosen to train with the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive.

















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