Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) members will compete in the State Leadership Conference from April 29–May 1. The conference will be held at Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. Students will take the Academic Testing Center (ATC) tests for health science events and participate in teamwork events where they perform hands-on medical skills.
“We’re hoping students learn more about their specific interests in healthcare and build lasting memories with friends who share the same [passion,]” president and area officer Neil Jeju said. “It’s not just about the competition — it’s also about having a good time and finding your [career] path.”
The club attended the area conference Jan. 17-18, and 57 students qualified for state. Some students advanced directly to state by earning first or second place in online testing, and others secured their spots by placing in the top-three at the area level. Two freshmen qualified in Prepared Speaking and Medical Assisting, and one sophomore team advanced in Medical Innovation.
“[These kids] have the heart to compete and [succeed],” sponsor Christine Cone said. “This year has been about bringing the wood, and I [truly] feel like my students brought the wood. I’m very pleased with them and their hard work.”
This year, the district instituted a policy that the district would not cover travel costs for students in Career Technology Education club competitions, like HOSA, unless the students are enrolled in a CTE certified course. As a result, the club shifted their plans from staying at the Kalahari Resort to the Holiday Inn because of cost and funding limitations.
“[It’s] difficult for people to know what courses are CTE [certified],” junior state qualifier Tanish Thakur said. “I didn’t even know I was [eligible] for CTE for AP Chemistry but I’m glad it counts as a STEM course. [Switching] resorts actually ended up being a [blessing] for us since CTE students [received] a $100 stipend for spending on meals and other expenses.”
Due to complications, many upperclassmen who qualified for state chose not to compete at the state conference; now 25 students are competing. Cone said that because the state conference is scheduled days before AP exams, some students have chosen to withdraw.
“Texas is the largest organization out of all the state organizations for HOSA, so it’s tough to see half my roster drop,” Cone said. “But I don’t blame them — they’ve worked hard [this year,] and qualifying for state is already a strong addition to their academic resume. Other clubs have required students to be [enrolled] in a CTE course to be in the club, so I may have to resort to that next year.”
This year, the competitive event guidelines have been revised for many of the events offered. Events like epidemiology required a hands-on portion that had to be completed at area, and other events, like Medical Math, required a video demonstration — which is no longer necessary.
“In some cases, it’s beneficial [as] students can focus in one aspect of their [event] and better hone their skills [on] it,” Thakur said. “[However], it’s vital in certain events that there is a hands-on portion for grading and overall knowledge.”
Club members can prepare for events through studying resources and engaging in study groups. Officers and teachers have offered support by providing additional practice for the in-person examination and demonstration skills.
“There’s a lot of information to cover for our events,” junior state qualifier Arjun Parthiban said. “We’ve been able to use [informational] sources like Quizlet, free textbooks and WebEx study groups to learn as much as possible. Our collaborative effort is what sets us up for our success.”
This year, the International Leadership Conference (ILC) will be held in Nashville, Tennessee. Last year, there were five competitors from Hebron who competed at nationals in Dallas.
“I’m pretty hopeful about this year’s prospects, and I do think we’ll have some people [compete] this year,” Jeju said. “It’d be great to see [students] make ILC and [explore] the opportunities [that] HOSA [offers]. Although juniors and sophomores haven’t had a student make it to nationals yet, this year. They’ve been working hard and I’m confident in [them].”
The schedule for the state conference begins with the opening ceremony on the first day. The next two days are for competition, and the last day consists of the closing ceremony, awards for recognition events and the Barbara James Service Award is announced.
“The Barbara James award [encouraged] me to pursue healthcare and continue to [participate] in HOSA,” Thakur said. “I learned that [healthcare] is a team of [individuals] who share the same interest, and it starts by being in HOSA. I enjoy meeting new people across the state; everyone’s competitive, and it’s great to see people who want to do their best. It’s fun to watch others win awards for their [passion] and try to make a lasting impact.”
