10 | NOVEMBER 2021
LIFESTYLE
Hawkeye
Healthcare opportunities, one student at a time By Jakob Nacanaynay
“So far, I’ve only been president for one meeting because we meet once a month,” Wheaton said. “I The new future health professionals club, or more helped organize all the individual groups, so we have commonly called HOSA (Health Occupations a group for competition, a group for fundraising and a Students of America) club, was created this year in group for outreach.” MTHS to promote interest in and allow students to The club plans to also hold fundraising events by selllearn more about careers ing first aid kits. “HOSA is a career and technical student within the healthcare field. “HOSA has decided to sell organization (CTSO) much like what we’re “HOSA is a Career first aid kits right before the familiar with at Mountlake Terrace -- TSA and Technical Student big holidays, so we are going (the Technology Student Association) is Organization (CTSO), to be selling personalized first the same, FCCLA (the Family, Career and much like what we’re familaid kits,” Wollan said. “It’s Community Leaders of America) is also the iar with at Mountlake nice, because you just throw it same.” Terrace. TSA (Technology in [your car or backpack], but Jami Wollan Student Association) is the HOSA is going to be selling SCIENCE TEACHER same. FCCLA ( Family, those, so they can look forward Career and Community Leaders of America) is also the to that and we would love the support.” same,” science teacher Jami Wollan, adviser of HOSA said. “It’s a club that brings in a competitive aspect, but it’s really connected with career and technical education (CTE). This one in particular, HOSA, is for future health professionals, so anyone who’s interested in health professions.” The HOSA club was created by Wollan to fill the void for a healthcare-related extracurricular at MTHS. The club has accumulated 26 members, which Wollan credits to information on the club being spread around and CTSO presentations in STEM-related CTE classes. While other CTSOs such as TSA have events related to medical professions, none of them are purely devoted to medical professions. “Talking to some of the other CTSO advisers, [HOSA was] just sort of a need at Mountlake Terrace because we have some healthcare-focused classes like anatomy and physiology and biotechnology,” Wollan said. “This really fits better for those classes,” she explained. In HOSA, students can learn about and compete in a wide range of healthcare-related niches. “There are knowledge-based competitions, so you could do a test on medical terminology,” Wollan said. “You could also do skills-based competitions: perform CPR first-aid skills or emergency response skills. There’s a couple of biotech categories. That’s one of the classes that sort of feeds into HOSA: recognizing different tools of the trade, and then making some solutions and dilutions as the competitive skills aspect of it. There’s a whole range of things depending on which kind of healthcare field you are looking to. There’s also team competitions that focus on just educational posters: making displays to educate the community about different healthcare professions or subjects.” Beyond simply learning about the healthcare field, Wollan hopes students who join can develop the broader skills necessary to start a career and help serve the community. “You can do interview practices and those kinds of things, so it really prepares them for moving on to that next step of the career world or off to college,” she said. “It’s definitely a service-based club as well. Students have the opportunity to serve our community, whether it’s local MTHS or getting out in the community.” While Wollan is the adviser, the aim is for the student leadership team to take the lead in making decisions as to the direction of the club going forward and managing committees. The current president is Asher Wheaton, a sophomore.
HAWKEYE STAFF
Students in a healthcare-related CTE class, such as anatomy and physiology, sports medicine, or biotechnology, this or last year can still join and compete in the HOSA club. Students not in a healthcare-related CTE class can join as a social or non-competitive members, although there may be a $20 fee. Students on free or reduced lunch will have the fee waived. Meetings occur once a month on Mondays at 2 p.m. in room 127, with their next meeting taking place on Nov. 22. For more information, students can reach out to Wollan or any students on the leadership staff. HOSA also has an Instagram account, where updates regarding the club are regularly posted and questions are answered. H
NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE
