Time. Hard work. Passion. These three things are evident throughout all of HOSA in the eyes of the sponsors of the club that get to see their efforts day in and day out. From rigorous study sessions before State to having seven qualifiers for internationals this year, they have had quite the successful year that’s led them to be able to fly down to Dallas to represent FHN’s HOSA. Although their gears are already turning towards the upcoming Internationals, they’re taking a moment to reflect on the success at the state level.

“It’s just really cool to see them qualify,” HOSA co-sponsor Dawn Hahn said. “I know the ones that are in this group, and I know how much time I see that they put in and that’s not even a touch of how much they really prepare outside of school. It makes me so happy for them that they can see their success and feel their success.”

State occurred on March 26 and 27. Prior to State, they understood the level of studying required to perform well. Not only did the students crack open the books, they went to all sorts of measures to ensure their preparedness for State competition.

“There were study sessions that some of our officers ran,” Hahn said. “They spent a ton of time outside of the classroom. I mean nothing was done in class to prepare for it, so it is truly all done outside of class. There were groups that made flashcards, groups that ordered extra text books and groups that found time to meet with other groups that had already competed in their category previously, to give them an idea of what the competition will be like.”

At State, senior Emily Helmick got second place in veterinary science, senior Erin Stock got second place in sports medicine, senior Emma Durham got third place in sports medicine, juniors Hannah and Sarah Zimmerman got second in CERT skills and senior Madeline Fields got second place in behavioral health. The performances from State qualified these six individuals, as well as junior Juan Alega for being honored by the HOSA organization at Internationals for completing over 250 hours of community service, the opportunity to experience the top level of competition there is within the organization.

“For most of our students, Internationals are kind of an eye-opening experience to see the level of competition out there,” Hahn said. “The ones that are currently some of the best in our building realize how crazy it is when they meet every school’s best in their building and the competition level with that many smart kids is crazy.”

For some qualifiers, the International level of competition will be a totally new experience. For others this will be their second time flying down to Internationals, carrying a suitcase of experience all the way to Dallas.

“We are returning three of our six that placed at nationals last year,” Hahn said. “The group that qualified has a lot of experience going into this year’s competition.”

The students worked extremely hard and take pride in the time, hard work and passion they put in to get them to qualify and are celebrating that, yet they are not dwelling on the success. They are preparing to fly down to Dallas to be fierce competitors even on such a large scale of competition.

“It’s pretty amazing to see your students go up there and be among the best in the world at the level of competition they are competing at,” Hahn said.