Following a one year gap, HOSA has returned to Millard South. However, a majority of students don’t know what HOSA is, and some of them have never even heard of the club.
HOSA stands for the Health Occupations Students of America. According to the teacher-sponsor Tor Haas, it can be described as the “DECA of the health/medical world.” She continued by saying it’s an environment where “students are able to meet and get information from college recruiters from places like UNMC and Bryan Health.”
This accessibility to college recruiters has played a big role in why many of the students have stayed in the program. For senior Corrine Wells, being apart of the program has connected her with speakers and field trips, helping her explore “various healthcare programs offered by different colleges.”
For senior Julia Matos, she said she was attracted to the club for a different reason, saying it “Helps me give back to my community.”
For Matos, volunteering has always been a big part of who she is, and HOSA has helped her dive deeper into this side of her. “HOSA has helped me explore this a lot, just by teaching me, through experience, how big of an impact I can make in another person’s life by performing a gesture as small as cleaning toys or folding clothes.”
HOSA also brings opportunities to grow in a competitive environment. Members in HOSA are given the opportunity yo compete at State Leadership Conference, and if they do well at SLC they can qualify for nationals. For Wells, she says she was “particularly drawn to the chance to compete and attend workshops,” as it serves as a place where she is able to ,“test my knowledge and collaborate with other members.” This competitive aspect of the club is something that Haas plans to build upon, saying that “The future of HOSA includes building our organization into a solid program that can compete with the best.”
Though, there is one major setback that is hindering these future plans: size. After taking a year off, the club has been struggling to gain numbers. According to Haas, there haven’t been a consistent number of people showing up to each meeting. Wells believes that a lot of this can be attributed to people being scared to try it out. However, she believes HOSA is a “safe environment,” and she encourages anyone to “drop by one of our meetings,” and to not be nervous or scared about fitting in. “They shouldn’t worry about joining late or not knowing anyone. Since our chapter is new this year, everyone is in the same boat and excited to discover or deepen their interests. While it might be too late to officially register as a member this year, anyone is always welcome to come and see what the club is all about!”
