By Gary S. Hatrick
The Laker Correspondent
ZEPHYRHILLS — Few Pasco students can boast that their senior project touches the lives of hundreds of people. But Charlie Daniels certainly can.
In October, the senior at Zephyrhills High’s Heath Career Academy headed up a blood drive that resulted in almost 200 students and teachers donating 191 pints of blood to BloodNet USA.
And since one pint of blood can save up to three lives, one can conclude that Daniels’ senior project will help up to 600 people.
And that’s not a bad way to launch a medical career. Daniels’ career goal is to be a registered nurse, and then use that education and experience to become a doctor. His dream is to be a general practitioner and return to Zephyrhills to set up his practice.
Daniels originally planned to conduct the blood drive by himself, but after learning of liability and insurance issues, he arranged to piggyback his senior project with a BloodNet USA drive already planned at the school.
Daniels supervised the drive and bridged the gap between BloodNet operations and students. His involvement recruited many more student donators than BloodNet ever anticipated.
“I really like phlebotomy and coordinating a blood drive sort of goes with it,” said Daniels. A phlebotomist is a medical professional trained to draw blood.
When Daniels graduates this spring from the Heath Career Academy as a certified nursing assistant, he will be on his way to reaching his goals.
