Students enrolled in the Health Occupations program at Jackson River Technical Center participated in the HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) State Leadership Conference held March 10-12, 2023 in Williamsburg, Virginia. JRTC students participated in both group and individual competitions.
Statewide HOSA competitive groups can include both secondary and post-secondary students within the district’s HOSA membership. This year’s conference competition also included a cohort of nursing students from William and Mary.
JRTC students completed many of the first-round competitions, largely testing, locally. The first-round tests typically included 100 or more questions that pre-qualified students to compete in second-round events which took place during the weekend leadership conference.
The weekend also offered students the opportunity to network with other like-minded students and attend guest speaker events and various information sessions open to all attendees. The opening session featured speakers from National HOSA, the Pancreatic Cancer Education Foundation, and a representative from Be the Match, which connects patients with matching donors for life-saving marrow transplants.
In addition to competition events, Lindsay Wrenn and Ariana Bolden, JRTC HOSA officers, were nominated to represent JRTC as HOSA voting delegates, helping to elect next year’s HOSA officers.
The weekend concluded with a special awards ceremony in which students were recognized for their program knowledge and accomplishments. JRTC had three top-10 finishing teams, a top-10 finish for individual competition, and a top-three finish for an individual.
“Our students have represented JRTC very well,” said JRTC Director Glenn Spangler. “I am incredibly proud of all of their hard work and professionalism.”
Two JRTC teams competed in the first-ever Anatomage Table competition. The event included an anatomy and physiology trivia contest. Team 1 included Ariana Bolden, Aubrey Brown, and Gabriyl Marshall. Team 2 included Erin Crowder, Sydney Broce, and Lindsay Wrenn.
The Anatomage tables are new to the JRTC healthcare program this year and have brought a new interactive learning experience to students enrolled in the program. The tables include four cadaver scans in which students have access to a digital dissection and immersive views of the human body.
JRTC Healthcare Program Instructor Johnell Cantrell shared that she is incredibly proud of her juniors and seniors. “They have worked very hard,” stated Cantrell, “and their efforts have paid off. To reach this level of success is quite an achievement and a testament to the efforts of our students.” She went on to state that the Anatomage Table has been a great addition to the classroom and “students are very engaged in the experiential learning opportunity.”
Top 10 finishing teams
Erin Crowder and Lindsay Wrenn participated in a healthcare career display completion in which the students were challenged to research a healthcare-related field, create an informational display, and present their career of choice to a panel of judges during the second round phase of the competition. Crowder and Wrenn chose the field of Art Therapy.
Sydney Broce, Harlie Reynolds, and Christina Terrell competed in a creative problem-solving event. They first sat for the pre-qualifying test in which they scored high enough to be included in the top-10 within the state. During the second phase of the competition, the team of three was given a scenario that included a significant healthcare problem. The presented problem was a mental healthcare-related issue. The team was then given 30 minutes to apply their knowledge and think creatively in order to solve the presented problem.
Arian Bolden, Aubrey Brown, Gabriyl Marshall, and Riley Walker competed in the HOSA Bowl which is a general healthcare trivia competition. In order to compete at the HOSA event, the students, again, had to score high enough on the pretest prior to the weekend’s event. The team of four finished in the top-seven statewide. They narrowly missed a higher ranking by only one point against a team made up of currently enrolled William and Mary nursing students.
Individual Competitors
Riley Walker was a top-10 finisher for Home Health Aide. Round one was a written test. Round two was held during the weekend’s events and consisted of a skills demonstration evaluation in which Walker was quizzed on the practical application of care skills.
Christina Terrell placed third in the state on the Nutrition exam. This competition was a written exam and is a very competitive event. Terrell is now qualified to compete at the ILC (International Leadership Conference) in Dallas, TX this June.
