Leading Change, Saving Lives: The Leadership Behind the National Marrow Donor Program

Authors

Madison Rhubart, University of Central FloridaFollow
Isabella De Araujo Mota, University of Central FloridaFollow

Streaming Media

Files

Course Code

LDR

Course Number

3215

Faculty/Instructor

Dr. Stacey Malaret

Faculty/Instructor Email

Stacey.Malaret@ucf.edu

About the Author

Madison Rhubart is a 2nd-year student at UCF studying Health Sciences and Isabella De Araujo Mota is also a 2nd-year student at UCF studying Marketing. We would like to thank Erika Brandt, the president of NMDP at UCF, and the other officers and volunteers. for their leadership and hard work. We would also like to thank Dr. Stacey Malaret, our instructor, for her guidance throughout this project.

Abstract, Summary, or Creative Statement

As part of the LEAD Scholar Academy service-learning project, our group partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through cell therapy and bone marrow donation. The purpose of our project was to support NMDP’s mission of expanding the marrow donor registry and to explore how leadership principles can be applied through meaningful community engagement.

Our volunteer work included assembling and labeling swab kits, assisting with donor registration drives, and educating UCF students about the importance of joining the registry. Through these activities, we not only contributed to lifesaving outreach efforts but also gained firsthand insight into how collaboration and civic responsibility strengthen communities.

Throughout this experience, we connected classroom concepts – particularly the Social Change Model of Leadership – to real-world service. We observed how values such as commitment and citizenship are demonstrated through teamwork, advocacy, and consistent effort toward a common goal. Ultimately, this project deepened our understanding of leadership as service, showing that small actions, when combined with shared purpose, can have a lasting and meaningful impact.

Keywords

National Marrow Donor Program; NMDP; Lead Scholars Academy; Leadership; Service-Learning; UCF; University of Central Florida

Recommended Citation

Rhubart, Madison and De Araujo Mota, Isabella, "Leading Change, Saving Lives: The Leadership Behind the National Marrow Donor Program" (2025). High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025. 40.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2025fall/40