Four Canyons School District students have been recognized by the HOSA International Leadership Conference as some of the best in the world.
Each year, roughly 15,000 students from middle school through to post-secondary come together to learn, network, and compete against their peers as they set their sights on careers in health and medical industries. In order to compete at HOSA’s ILC, students must first compete and win at the state level against 1,500 of their peers. Canyons then chose 40 students to attend this year’s HOSA ILC conference in Indianapolis, Indiana where they competed against students from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Canada, China, and Italy.
“They’re literally the top 10 in the world,” says Heather Bonella, Canyons’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) and HOSA Coordinator. “It is really quite an accomplishment for them.”
Corner Canyon’s Surya Kapu was recognized in the Job Seeking Skills category, along with Hillcrest’s Aahana Sharmacharya, Nithila Karthik, and Shatakshi Sinha who competed in Prepared Speaking, Extemporaneous Writing for Health Policy, and Research Poster, respectively.
“It’s months of work,” Bonella says, “some are coming up with new medical devices, others competed in dental terminology, team events, and research papers. It was incredible to find out they’re in the top 10 literally in the world. That’s quite an accomplishment for these kids and talk about something great to be able to put on their resume. It’s phenomenal.”
Along with competitions, students are able to network with thousands of their peers, even trading pins like fans of the Olympics. They’re provided with symposiums and classes to attend, while given the opportunity to chat with colleges and health industry professionals as they consider their career path.
“It’s a great way for students to meet other kids who are interested in healthcare,” says Bonella. “You can learn so much in a class, but to take those skills and really start to apply them in a real world setting, that to me is what CTE is all about.”
