Early in the morning on April 8, one could have found seventeen students and their advisers climbing aboard a charter bus in the Sandpoint High School parking lot. These seventeen individuals and their advisers spent around eights hours on Wednesday traveling to Boise to attend and compete at Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) State.

For the next two days the girls competed in their individual events, attended medically informative symposiums (which are talks given by guest speakers that have a background in health or medicine), went shopping, and went to Wahooz, an entertainment center.

Around 1000 students around the state of Idaho, 300 more than last year, attended the event held at the Boise Hotel and Conference Center.

Delia Boyd placed second in Extemporaneous Health Poster, Maddie Albertson placed third in Medical Photography and Lauren Sfeir placed fourth in prepared speaking. In addition to the three Sandpoint High School students who won awards, Mrs. Holm earned an award for her fifteenth year as a HOSA advisor.

Baylee Webster, a junior in both HOSA and the Health Occupations program attended her second HOSA conference and really enjoys the program.

“It’s amazing because even if you have no interest in getting a job in the medical field, the people there [HOSA State] give you the motivation anyone may need to do whatever they dream about doing in their life,” Webster said.

The individuals who placed in their categories get the chance to go on to nationals and compete in Anaheim, California from June 24 through 27 with their fellow future health professionals from all over the country. In addition to the students that placed, Mrs. Holm allows the other members from HOSA to travel to nationals and volunteer for different events.

“I’m super excited for nationals because it’s a completely different experience from state. You get to meet kids from all across the U.S. and it’s really hard to explain how incredible it is.” Webster explained.