Members of Health Occupations Students of America were given the opportunity to experience moulage, Community Emergency Response Training, informational meetings and more at the HOSA Area 1 Fall Leadership Conference at Roosevelt High School on Oct. 10.
“I expected it to be very hectic, but everything was well organized and I enjoyed every activity,” junior Lidia Rangel said.
After the opening ceremony, students attended an activity of their choosing during the breakout sessions. These activities included forensics, where students worked with fingerprints and discussed forensic medicine, CERT, where students were taught how to act in the event of a catastrophe, and moulage, where students learned how to apply makeup to simulate injuries.
“One of my favorite events was medical innovation,” junior Devyn Shiplett said. “Because it was a practical appliance and I was able to get creative with real life situations and every day objects.”
In another activity, students were given information and opportunities to work with Music for Memories, an organization integrating music into nursing homes to treat dementia patients.
“It was heartwarming to see a spark return to the elderly patients’ eyes once they started listening to their favorite tunes,” Rangel said. “Every geriatric patient should have the opportunity to remember who they are.”
This conference was not only used as an opportunity to acclimate to and create excitement for this new HOSA year, but also to raise awareness and funds to fight leukemia. Students donated one dollar to compete in a lime challenge, with each participant trying to keep the lime in their mouth for as long as possible.
“The lime challenge was a fun-to-watch event, but also created a well placed platform for awareness and funding,” Shiplett said.
Through events, activities, and fundraising, the Fall Leadership Conference was an opportunity for like-minded, yet diverse students to meet and share their interest in the medical field.
“The conference showed me how diverse our HOSA area is,” Shiplett said. “It really renewed and reinforced my passion for helping people in need.”