By Ramil Lorenzo Gonzalez
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Summer was busy for the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), who had spent their vacation intensely preparing for the HOSA National Leadership Conference (NLC) held in Orlando, Fla. from June 20 to 23. With MHS landing one gold medal and placing in the top ten in three other events, their efforts had paid off.
“I was so glad to see that (Alumnae Jacqueline Fry and Melanie Pacpaco) took home a gold medal,” said former HOSA State President Alumna Brianna Daranciang, who was part of the Medical Reading team, continuing, “I am so proud of all of the recognition that (MHS) received at nationals.”
In addition to Fry and Pacpaco’s first place win in Career Health Display, HOSA had placed in fourth in the Health Education and Public Service Announcement categories and fifth in Medical Reading.
The students had prepared for their events for months, studying independently out of class all year. “All year long they’re like putting together things or researching, and then they have to study the information in their books,” said HOSA adviser Candace Chun. Daranciang added, “The day after NLC 2011, I was already starting to read the books assigned for this year’s competition. I also committed lots of time to meet with my teammates so that we could discuss main ideas together … even if it meant sacrificing other plans.”
Once the students got to Florida, the studying only increased. “(My friends) would … stay up all night practicing,” HOSA President Brysen Pasion commented. Chun remarked, “They were just exhausted …When they got there they stayed up kind of late, so all the days there, they’re like practicing and I didn’t know if they would make it.”
Despite their exhaustion, four teams were able to place in the top 10 in their categories, with Career Health Display taking gold. “We represented (MHS) well at nationals by showing the rest of the nation just how determined we were to place in one of those top 10 spots,” Daranciang said. “When (the Career Health Display) team got called up for at least top 10 I was so happy,” Chun said, continuing, “But then when they named them as the first place gold medal winners, I mean, I just never even anticipated (that) … For me that was the highlight.”
With another year of preparation ahead, HOSA members, past and present, are hopeful and excited for the team. “This year’s team is comprised of very strong individuals who I believe have the ability to lead Mililani forward to a successful future,” expressed Daranciang. Pasion added, “I hope that our chapter this year would … continue to be more excited and pumped about this year and would, like, do everything to represent (MHS) well at states or nationals.”
Chun and the rest of HOSA hope to mirror or even surpass their achievements at the next competition and will be diligently preparing until then.
