Two Amador juniors, Negar Morshedian (’22) and Yena Cho (’22), placed at this year’s HOSA State Leadership Conference. Among the different categories, Cho (’22) placed 3rd in Dental Terminology, Morshedian (’22) placed 1st in Biomedical Laboratory Science.

“I decided to partake in SLC because it’s something that’s really unique that can set me apart and it’s also a competition that’ll prepare me for the medical field,” said Cho (’22).

The conference holds events that cover many different areas of study, from Clinical Nursing to Health Career Photography. Their virtual status this year meant many traditional events were modified to adapt to remote participation

“Usually there’s a component where you put on PPE or do specific labs, but this year instead of doing the actual lab, you described the procedure to a judge live,” said Morshedian (’22).

Beyond testing the necessary practical skills and knowledge for health professions, HOSA and its competitors is also a place for students to learn more about the careers they’re looking to pursue.

“This year I was at my orthodontist and it was so interesting learning about the different procedures, that it got me interested in the dental field,” said Cho (’22). “That’s why I decided on the dental terminology event, because it gives me exposure into the field that I’m passionate about.”

Even for those who aren’t as certain on the path they want to take, having an in-depth look into different fields can be useful.

“I did two SLC events, the other being behavioral health,” said Morshedian (’22).“Before, I was interested in psychology, and both fields are still interesting to me, but I’ve shifted a little away from med school to more research-based options,”

Throughout the past year the AV HOSA club has been helping members prepare for their various competitions, such as through Minicons, where students practice multiple choice and lab scenario skills. Even with the extra help, students still had a lot to go over and review by themselves.

“On the HOSA guidelines they have sources listed that they’ll explicitly say they’ll use in their test,” said Cho (’22), “So during the qualifying exam I studied, skimmed through their textbook, and then used Quizlets that were made by previous HOSA members.”

Despite all their preparation, the competitions themselves were still an intimidating challenge.

“There was so much stress, but I went in with the mentality of ‘This is a huge competition so I might as well give it a shot,’” said Morshedian (’22).

By winning 1st and 3rd place in the state, both Morshedian (’22) and Cho (’22) qualify for ILC, the International Leadership Conference. At that next stage, they’ll meet and compete with students from around the globe. 

“It’s my first time going to ILC but I’m looking forward to competing and hopefully placing,” said Cho (’22). “It’s going to be more difficult than states, but I’m gonna study a lot and hopefully make Amador proud!”