Boasting about 260,000 members worldwide, the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) is one of the largest student-led clubs in Seminole High School (SHS). As it is considered a staple in the SHS club culture for many years, HOSA is a great organization to join for students who are interested in the medical field. Not only does this club promote health professions through competitions and community service, but it is also a place for companionship among students who share the same passion for healthcare. Welcoming, enjoyable, and thoroughly organized, HOSA’s stellar reputation is of no surprise to many.

A large and high-profile club requires the leadership of several students. With approximately 120 students joining HOSA for the school year of 2022-2023, the leaders of the club have decided to extend their officer line-up to ten people. The officers are as follows: 

• • Jiya Bhatt and Hailey Sejpal as co-presidents
  • Amanda Jayakody as the IB vice president
  • Caprice Perkins as the Health Academy vice president
  • Roy Chen as the secretary
  • Shrina Patel as the treasurer
  • Alexandra Kuptsova as the historian
  • Layla El Nasser as the junior representative
  • Makenna Arnott as the sophomore representative

• Ana Jeong as the freshman representative

As a co-president of HOSA, IB senior Jiya Bhatt works hard to lead HOSA and provide a fun and fulfilling experience for her fellow members. Aspiring to work in the field of biology, she joined HOSA in her freshman year. Throughout her high school years, she participated in a multitude of competitions ranging from forensic science to health career display, expanding her knowledge in the biomedical field after many hours of research and self-studying.

On her experiences as an officer, she explains: “Perhaps my most prominent experiences are through officer positions; I learned a lot in my first year as a HOSA officer. In my junior year, I was elected secretary and found that we needed ways to confirm organizational information to make sure that everyone was on the same page. Learning from trial and error in our first year as an officer allowed us to manipulate methods for better success in our following year.”

Playing a role in meaningful experiences is bound to be gratifying. As the club promotes the well-being of various communities and service based on healthcare, Bhatt is often gratified whenever the members of HOSA lead different service activities related to outreach and education. 

She expresses: “Personally, I am most motivated by seeing engaged members at the meetings and events. Regardless of what they are doing, I feel fulfilled knowing that they felt as though their contribution mattered to the whole community- this is a HOSA value at the end. I’m convinced that every meeting and event should feel like a party where everyone is engrossed in something and are having a good time completing their projects of choice.”

Similarly motivated by the medical opportunities of HOSA and the camaraderie of its members, IB senior Amanda Jayakody has been a part of the club since her sophomore year. She first joined HOSA because of her passion for healthcare and desire to inspire others who also want to be in the medical field. In her junior year, she became the historian of the club, later getting elected as the IB vice president in her senior year.

As a member, Jayakody has participated in competitions about dental terminology, nutrition, and public service announcements (PSA). She also advanced to internationals in the summer of 2022, traveling to Tennessee to compete in PSA and winning a recognition award. To her, it was a one-of-a-kind experience.

 “I got to see people from all over the world such as China, Korea, Canada, and . . . [I became more] passionate about the health field,” she explains.

Like Bhatt, what fulfills Jayakody the most is the members of HOSA themselves. 

She states: “Everyone is passionate towards the health field and we all try our best to make the community better. This year, HOSA is building a mental health or mediation garden to help students on campus . . . have a safe space to focus on themselves and relax from stress . . . Here at HOSA, we not only focus on physical health, we are also extremely [focused] on mental health in our community. HOSA has allowed me and many others to make a difference in our community from helping the homeless, competing in competitions, to sending cards to nursing homes. HOSA is an amazing club!”

To learn more about HOSA and become a member, please view the ocntact information below. Joining a club like this one is truly an experience you will never regret!

Contacts:

Instagram: @seminole_hosa

Remind: @shshosa-23