The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo hosted the 5th Hawaiʻi Island HOSA – Future Health Professionals Regional Conference on January 18 where UH Hilo students took top honors in several event categories.
The Public Service Announcement (PSA) Team, consisting of juniors Travis Taylor and Shayne Cabudol, freshman Kit Neikirk, and senior Jeremy Villanueva, took 1st Place with their video “Stop the Bleed.”
The Health Career Display Team, comprised of sophomores Bobbi-Jo Oliva and Tara Marie Takafuji, took 1st Place for their display and presentation on the career of a plastic surgeon.
Individuals who placed 1st Place in their respective categories were freshman Zyrill Dayne Dela Cruz in Medical Math and junior Daniel Kimura in Medical Terminology.
Additionally, two officers of the UH Hilo HOSA Executive Council received special recognition for their hard work and dedication to HOSA. Vice President Daniel Kimura received the Outstanding Leadership Award and Chapter President and State Officer Candidate Travis Taylor received the Outstanding Presidential Award. External Advisor and founder of Hawaiʻi Island HOSA, Lark Jason Canico of the UH Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine, delivered a speech on “Leaving a Legacy” as part of the celebration.
More than 100 members representing chapters at UH Hilo, Kamehameha Schools-Hawaiʻi, Kea`au, and Waiakea High Schools competed in a variety of events, including Pharmacology, Medical Terminology, Prepared Speaking, and Public Service Announcement. In all, HOSA offers over 50 competitive events, building attributes of leadership, professionalism, knowledge and experience in the student’s area of interest.
As part of the 5th year anniversary, HOSA hosted its first college expo with over 10 organizations, including the UH Hilo Admissions Office, the UH Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, Hilo Medical Center Foundation, Blue Zones Hawaiʻi, and more.
UH Hilo HOSA will next send 10 ambassadors to compete in the 15th Annual Hawaiʻi HOSA State Leadership Conference February 25-27 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center on O`ahu.
HOSA – Future Health Professionals is an international organization with more than 245,000 members and 2.5 million alumni. HOSA was established in Hawaiʻi in 2005 and has grown to more than 1,700 members.