National competitions are in sight for members of the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapter. This past weekend, students attended a competition to try to advance to the state and national levels.
The competition this weekend encompassed many events. There were emergency preparedness events as well as events about education and medical knowledge.
Junior Cassidy Krantz participated in an extemporaneous speaking event. She was required to speak about the HOSA organization itself, from the emblem to the motto of the organization.
“Competing in this event helps me be more confident in my ability to prepare and excel in a given task,” Krantz said. “It encourages me to be a self-sufficient leader.”
Krantz put in preparation time towards her event but said that it is difficult to do so considering her event depends upon being presented with a random topic. Competitors are given five minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to speak.
“One thing I do in the five preparation minutes is have someone give me a practice prompt,” Krantz said. “Then I speak to them about the random prompt they’ve given me so that I can begin thinking on my feet.”
Junior Alex Newell entered a team event. Last year, his team placed first nationally and this year they have already placed first in the area.
“We prepared a presentation about a potential health crises and how to handle that if it was ever encountered,” Newell said. “We spent a lot of time doing library research and studying CDC websites.”
Both Krantz and Newell are pursuing careers in the medical field. They feel that competing in HOSA events help them prepare for their medical futures.
“Medical knowledge is always useful,” Newell said. “These events also turn you into a major team player.”
But in a more short-term goal, Krantz wants to make it to the national HOSA competition. She went to state last year and has already qualified for state this year because she placed third in her event.
“At state, the competition is more nerve-wracking,” Krantz said. “But at the same time it’s more fun because you get close to everyone you’re competing with because you all travel together.”
