This year, Nilson said the club is trying to do at least one activity a month, such as trick-or-treating to raise money for the Red Cross, charity dances, teaching preschoolers about Halloween safety and helping out with blood drives.

The club also adopted a nursing platoon stationed in the Middle East and sends them letters and post cards and care packages with lip balm, toilet paper and macadamia nuts.

All members are also getting CPR-certified, Nilson said.

Meanwhile, Nilson, who plans to be a dental hygienist, maintains a 4.0 grade-point average while simultaneously attending high school and taking a math class at Brigham Young University-Hawai'i. She plans to attend BYU-Idaho after graduation.

She is also the secretary for Kahuku's National Honor Society club.

All her activities take some juggling, but "you really just have to manage," Nilson said. Part of that includes having meetings during lunch or right after school so she can concentrate on homework when she gets home.

"I have things planned out ahead of time so I know what I have to do," she said.

With 27 members in the club, Nilson gets a lot of help, but she does most of the research about how to get involved with projects and presents the information to the club members, according to Krista Nielson, the club adviser and Health Occupations teacher.

"She's a natural leader. She's friendly and outgoing," Nielson said. "She includes everyone in the planning and the kids really look up to her and like her."

Nilson serves because she appreciates the mission of the Red Cross, but there are also some benefits. "We're not paid or anything, but you get to be with your friends, which is cool, and sometimes you get a free shirt," she said.

Who helped you? "Miss Nielsen. Last year she told me when the meetings were and how good it would look on my resum? and tried to get me involved," Nilson said.