Online submissions. Meeting with professionals. Posting on social media. Practicing medical skills. These are some of many things that students do to prepare for the HOSA competition.  

The HOSA competition will take place at the Spring Leadership Conference on Feb. 7 and 8. With events ranging from Health Science to Emergency Preparedness to Teamwork, there are various things that students must prepare prior to competing.

“Some [students] have been preparing all year,” HOSA advisor and teacher Tyler Terry said. “They’ve been doing service projects, meeting with other professionals in the area and doing social media campaigns or fundraisers. If there are knowledge or skills-based tests, then the descriptions for those will list what reference materials to use, so some students have been studying or practicing their skills.”

Senior Ashley Blair is competing in a Mental Health Promotion event. As a part of this event, she and her team are spreading awareness about anxiety throughout the school. 

“We did this event last year too,” Blair said. “It’s just a good way to reach a lot of students because a lot of high schoolers struggle with anxiety and to provide our peers with ways to alleviate their anxiety. We made a digital portfolio, we’ve met with multiple healthcare providers, we’ve made podcasts, and we’ve posted a lot on instagram. There’s a lot that goes into it behind the scenes. You get in what you put out.”

Junior Katie Liu is also participating in the anxiety awareness campaign. She said that she is looking forward to the competition after all the hard work she and her team have put in. 

“I look forward to seeing how our work helps youth feel more prepared in terms of managing their anxiety,” Liu said. “I also am looking forward to spending time with other HOSA members at the Spring Leadership Conference.” 

Liu said that the competition events can benefit her and other students who want to work in the medical field in the future. 

“HOSA competitions are a great way for students to get more involved with the organization,” Liu said. “They have so many competition options to choose from, so it is really helpful for students to specialize in one healthcare related topic that they are really interested in.”

Because there are so many events in the HOSA competition, there are many various things that students are working on. Senior Emlee Yonga is competing in the MRC Partnership Event. This event has involved holding fundraisers to give back to the community and using social media to inform the community about safety strategies in emergency situations.

“Our event is centered around better informing our community about emergency preparedness and improving public health,” Yonga said. “I chose this event because of its group aspect. I love collaborating with others, and I wanted to compete in an event that would give me that opportunity.”

“Our event is centered around better informing our community about emergency preparedness and improving public health,” Yonga said. “To do so we have used social media to inform our community about safety strategies for numerous emergency situations. We have also had fundraisers and held events that directly give back to our community.”

Yonga said that this competition is great for working together with her peers, and that the event that she is competing in is especially social.

“I chose this event because of its group aspect,” Yonga said. “I love collaborating with others, and I wanted to compete in an event that would give me that opportunity.”

At the event, Yonga and her team will present their work to judges and their peers. They will also be able to see other student’s presentations. 

In the past, Terry has been to multiple HOSA Competitions as a sponsor, and he said he enjoys watching his students get to know new people.

“I really like to see how the students from our school interact with students from other schools, and how they make friends with other people who are interested in healthcare,” Terry said. “Obviously they’re working really hard and they’re focused on their competitive event but after they’re done, they socialize with other people and network with other schools. And then in the final ending ceremonies, they’re all just cheering for each other.”

“Our team has been working hard for months leading up to the competition,” she said. “Personally, I am ready to compete and share our work, as well as see what our other competitors have accomplished. Regardless of the results, I’m very proud of the initiatives that our team has put forward and I believe we have left a mark on our community.”