Health Occupation Students of America, HOSA, is working on strengthening their close- knit community this year, aiming to give students opportunities to explore their future through connection and experience.
Treasurer and junior, Sreeyan Nampally, a third-year member, is leading one of the club’s most ambitious initiatives yet: increasing the number of students attending nationals to 15 students. This expansion marks a significant step for the club, allowing for more students to experience competition at a national level and build leadership skills in the process. In efforts to support the goal, Nampally said, “I also want to fundraise so that we can get the cost of the trips down for everyone.”
With a goal like this, HOSA also needs new members, like incoming freshman, Zack Pesin.
Pesin is a new member of HOSA who is hoping to follow in his parents footsteps in becoming a dentist. With inspiration and passion, Pesin is excited to meet leadership and learn about the structure of the club. Although he doesn’t know much about the club, he said, “I know the club holds many meetings leading up to the first event to ensure all participants are ready to win, and I’m sure that the leadership prepares everyone very well.”
Pesin plans to participate in Dental Science, and although not knowing much about the event he is sure that HOSA will provide him with valuable information and experiences that will help him succeed in his goals. With the hope that HOSA will deepen his passion for dentistry and leave a positive impression on him, Pesin is planning all four-years of his high school career.
In contrast, sophomore Ally Felde, a student from a neighboring school shared her experiences of being a HOSA member at her school.
Felde joined her freshman year, and not even a full year later she already sees positive change in her experience. Being new to the school last year, Felde was eager to make friends and join a community with similar passions, but HOSA did not provide her with the expected experiences. She said, “There are so many people that at times it feels extremely overcrowded and overwhelming,” making her experience extremely disorganized and unenjoyable.
With the failure of adding her to the email list and the lack of vital information given she felt as though she was unprepared compared to students from other schools, but this year is already providing her with a better experience. Felde said she felt content because this year HOSA changed for the better, for instance, this year they’ve already conducted numerous meetings elaborating on competitions, future meetings and the experiences gained from the experience. This brings her original 2/10 rating of the club to an 8/10.
As HOSA develops across schools, their approaches centralize community, rigour and passion shared between students. Whether the club’s goals are community-driven or competition- driven, they all prepare the future health leaders of America for success. No matter what each club is doing, HOSA continues to give students a welcoming platform to grow, take initiative and connect with their passions and peers.
