As the largest organization at KHS and largest in the district, most of us have heard about Hosa- however many of us don’t know what all they actually do at our school, in the community, or as an organization. After all, it is easy to write it off as just another organization or to dismiss it as something only for that niche group of students interested in pursuing a career in the health science field. But even in the presence of these misconceptions, our Hosa chapter has managed to achieve so many great things, take home trophies at competition, and reach out in the community to truly make an impact with members who are devoted to building leadership skills through participation in but not limited to the health sciences.
This organization has been built over the course of many years on our campus and has risen to its current prominence (over 300 members) through the hard work of members, officers, and our amazing sponsors Ms. Henderson, Ms. Askew, and Ms. Lard. Every year our members compete at the area, state, and international level to showcase skills in the healthcare field. At these conferences, members also take part in various activities to build leadership skills and network with professionals who can offer real-world opportunities to further their involvement in the field- making these opportunities incredibly valuable and a fantastic way for members to set themselves apart. These connections go on to help our members in whatever they choose to pursue. For those of you who have made the trek down to the health science wing, you can see the walls lined with pictures of KHS alumni who took part in our Hosa and health science program and have gone on to become cardiothoracic, orthopedic, and pediatric surgeons just to name a few.
Hosa also provides members with numerous opportunities to better themselves and the community through service projects. Hosa sponsors blood drives that KHS hosts multiple times every semester that members help run in which one donation can save up to three lives! The Hosa service committee also works tirelessly to organize events for members to take part in. This past semester alone, Hosa has organized nearly 20 service events! From volunteering at the annual Addi’s Faith Walk to making thank you gifts for the local fire departments, KHS Hosa offers so many ways to give back to our community.
Going into the spring semester, Hosa will be even busier with competition season starting up with so many of our members having already advanced from online testing prior to break and more submitting the projects that they have been working on in just a couple of weeks. We cannot wait to see what more KHS Hosa is able to accomplish in the new year!
For so many at our school, Hosa has allowed its members to grow as people and find something that they truly care about- but they can tell you that for themselves in order to truly do it justice:
“Hosa was a way for me to not only find my people but to find my passion and place. I didn’t know what I wanted to do until Ms. Lard took me under her wing and pushed me to try new things. Just like Ms. Lard always says, ‘go that extra mile to be extraordinary’. With that in mind, I’ll always try to go that extra bit.” -Daniela Perdomo
“Hosa is a truly life changing organization. Countless times have I seen the way in which Hosa has taken high school students and molded them into fierce, strong leaders.” -Jett Smith
“Hosa has helped me so much in various aspects of life. From learning how to think on my feet, to networking with health professionals, I have learned so much that I can apply to my future career.” -Katie Brubaker
