HOSA- Health Occupations Students of America- is an organization for future health professionals. Their mission is to lead “a global student-led organization, whose mission is to promote career opportunities in the health industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people”. Dakota has its own HOSA chapter, and through this organization, high school students are able to study, attend conferences, compete in competitions, and earn scholarships that will help lead them on the path to being successful medical professionals.  

    Last week, from Wednesday April 26th to Saturday, April 29th, the DHS chapter attended the Michigan State Competition, held at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City, Michigan. It was a very successful competition for the team, with 125 schools participating and 2,600 students present. This year, Dakota had 28 students representing the school, competing in 13 different events to prove their knowledge and skill in healthcare.  

The following students made it to the stage to receive awards and praise for their success: 

-Veronica Jakosalem: 2nd place in the Physical Therapy category  

-Emma Thamarus: 3rd place in the Home Health Aide category 

“Home Health Aides are people that help others with their daily activities that are struggling with a disability

or chronic illnesses. My favorite thing about HOSA is the camaraderie that comes along with it. I didn’t think that it was possible to become so close and feel so supported by people that you aren’t in class with or play on a team with. You also go to these competitions and everyone is so friendly there. You meet so many new people that share similar interests as you.” – Emma Thamarus, grade 12 

Emma will be attending Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where she will be playing volleyball and majoring in nursing. She is thinking about becoming a CRNA in the future! 

-Karen Mei: 4th place in the Pharmacy Science category 

-Saarim Iqbal: 4th place in the Medical Terminology category 

-Yousif and Saleem Basheer, Delaine Danyal, and Sara Bazzi: 4th Place in the HOSA Bowl  

“HOSA Bowl is a medical-styled, jeopardy-based event on HOSA rules, procedures and medical questions. My favorite part of HOSA is the competition.” – Sarah Bazzi, grade 12 

Sarah will be attending the University of Michigan for PA/ anesthesia. 

-Delaine Danyal: Top 8 in the National Geographic Anatomy and Physiology Test  

“HOSA Bowl is a quiz bowl-style competition where teams of students compete against each other to answer questions related to health sciences and medical professions. The questions cover a wide range of topics such as anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, diseases and disorders, pharmacology, and healthcare systems. The HOSA Bowl event is designed to challenge students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and teamwork skills in a fun and competitive environment. My favorite thing about HOSA is teamwork. One of the reasons why teamwork is my favorite thing in HOSA is because it provides an opportunity to learn from others. When working in a team, I can observe and learn from my teammates’ different approaches and perspectives. This can help me broaden my knowledge, develop new skills, and improve my own performance. Moreover, by working together towards a common goal, we can create a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. Finally, teamwork in HOSA can be a lot of fun. It allows us to engage in creative problem-solving, work on exciting projects, and celebrate our successes together. Overall, teamwork is an essential component of HOSA, and it has been my favorite thing because of the valuable learning experiences, relationship-building opportunities, and enjoyment it provides.” – Delaine Danyal, grade 12 

Delaine’s future aspirations are to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and surgery (DO). She will major in Pre- Medicine Biology at the University of Detroit Mercy, and attend Michigan State University COMS- which will lead her to figure out what specialty she will advance in. 

-Saarim Iqbal, Aleksandra Stojcevski, Erin Angeles, and Veronica Jakosalem: 4th Place in the Antamoge Table Competition 

“Our event was called Anatomage, and in it we had to use our knowledge of anatomy to name parts of the body using a new virtual cadaver. It is based off a real person, meaning it has some quirks that the person it was based off of had. There are four rounds in the event, and in each one we were given about five minutes to answer around thirty questions. As the rounds progressed, the questions became more specific and used more body systems, and after each round only the top teams could carry onto the next. My favorite thing about HOSA was the awards ceremonies. Although it was a little slow, everyone there was so nice to talk to and I had a lot of fun cheering on my teammates.” – Erin Angeles, grade 12 

Erin is planning to attend Wayne State to be either a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner. She is hoping to make up her mind in the summer while working as a nurse aid, as she learns what she enjoys doing. 

    Congratulations to these students and Dakota HOSA! They will attend the international conference this summer, June 21st through June 25th. Best of luck with the rest of your HOSA career, and with your medical future!