When it comes to pursuing a medical career, it is usually best to get a head start. FHN’s Future Health Professionals club, HOSA, is dedicated to educating the school and student body about having a healthy lifestyle and encourages potential physicians, nurses and caretakers and other career options in the field.

“HOSA is the kind of a club for people who want to go into a health profession and it helps them get introduced to all that,” senior Brandi Wellman said.

HOSA was a required program for FHN by the state and is led and taught by teacher Matthew Riffee. It meets once every two weeks after school and consists of different activities and projects that usually link to helping out the community. In 2015-16 this included a blood drive for the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, the annual Polar Plunge, wrapping Christmas gifts for a family in need and the state competition. When it was started in 2015, there were few students participating in the club, but as the year progressed more students became interested in experiencing it for themselves.

“My favorite part about HOSA is the fact that I get to demonstrate my talent and knowledge of the medical field to others,” senior Sarah Garrelts said.

This year on March 28, 43 FHN members went to the Missouri University of Science and Technology to participate in the HOSA State competition. They competed in knowledge tests and various events that involved things that they had learned in club activities and a taste of future careers in the medical field. Competitors with the highest scores were to be sent to the National competition.

“I just like spending time with the other people that are in HOSA,” Wellman said. “And the competition was really fun because you got to go overnight and compete. It’s a great experience.”