Two Sunnyslope HOSA teams placed in the top five of the State Health & Career event in Tucson on March 21, according to HOSA Adviser Missy Portela.
Sophomores Maila Chu and Makena Royce qualified for and competed in an event called Health Career Display, while Juniors Kaitlyn Mosher, Seneca Nagle, Ava Hylton and Jon Ayatta all did well in the Health Education bracket.
HOSA, which is a club for Future Health Professionals, is a program designed to prepare students interested in future healthcare and medical careers.
It allows students to gain knowledge of and experience in various medical careers before applying for college programs.
Chu said, “[HOSA] teaches me more about healthcare which is something I would like to get into later on.”
Ayatta and his team scored fifth place in the Health Education competition.
“It is rewarding when we go to competitions because we all work hard together to have a good performance,” said Junior Jon Nelson.
Students can choose between 85 topics and can only compete at state-level for one subject.
Chu and Royce competed in the Health Career Display event and placed fourth.
“We had to make a tri-fold on MRI technology, and had five minutes to present about it,” said Royce.
Not only do students gain valuable skills, but HOSA students say it will look great on anyone’s resume.
“It looks really good on college applications since it is a competitive club,” said Nagle.
Along with a chance to dive into personal interests, Slope’s HOSA program provides students with an opportunity to learn more about the responsibilities that come with self-study.
Portela said, “This program gives them more independence. It is student-led, I just give them the tools they need to prepare.”
