Through March 26 to 27, the Missouri HOSA State Leadership Conference was held at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. HOSA is a club with different competitive events for students who are interested in becoming healthcare professionals. To welcome members of Missouri HOSA, an opening ceremony was held. The ceremony included music for students to dance to as well as speeches from the state officers.

Before competing, many students reviewed study materials. Sneha Chandra, freshman, competed in the Public Service Announcement event. By being in HOSA, it has allowed her to learn more about the medical world. “I learned so many medical terms that I never knew before,” Chandra said. “That helped me become more aware of medical issues in the real world.”

The conference featured an exhibition area including different colleges and health organizations. Students were able to take a look at each table and learn the information about it. Jian Zhang, freshman, enjoyed the exhibition the most out of the conference. “It was really cool to be able to see the different options offered to students who want to pursue a career in healthcare or medicine,” Zhang said.

During their free time, many students went to play board games and other activities. Jian Zhang, freshman, was one of the students who participated in the graffiti wall. Along with spending time with her friends, she learned more about healthcare. She said joining HOSA presented her with new ways to learn information about medicine.

Many students who were competing in the same event studied together. Shaily Laad, freshman, competed in Medical Terminology. She joined HOSA because she thought it would be a good opportunity for a student interested in medicine. Since this was her first year, she struggled with finding the right studying materials. “I didn’t really know how to prepare for my event,” Laad said. “My studying consisted mostly of quizlets.”

Many MHS students placed at the competition this year. The top three in each event are given the chance to compete in the International Leadership Conference held in June.