UH Hilo HOSA students headed to nationals

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Contact:
Alyson Kakugawa-leong, (808) 974-7642
Director Media Relations, University Relations
Posted: Mar 24, 2014

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students recently competed in the 9th annual Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) Statewide competition on O`ahu and received several honors that qualified them for the national competition in Orlando, Florida, June 25-28, 2014.

The Public Service Announcement Team, categorized as a Teamwork Event, took first place with their 30-second PSA on “Educating the Community about Child Hunger.” The topic was to promote a healthcare service organization and bring awareness to a healthcare situation. Team members, all freshmen, include Lark Jason Canico (team captain), Ridge Cabacang, Sheldon Cabudol, and Guinevere Davenport. Each member gave an oral presentation in addition to displaying the PSA.

Kimberly Cabreros, a sophomore, took first place in Pharmacology. Categorized as a “Knowledge Test,” the test was related to a specific career or specialty area from within the healthcare community that measured proficiency at the recall, application, and analysis levels.

Junior Mandee Miyake took third overall in Prepared Speaking, which was categorized as a Leadership Event. She wrote a paper and presented a speech on “The Future Starts Now.”

The UH Hilo team also received an award for having the highest increase in membership in the Post Secondary Chapter for 2013-2014.

Dr. Cecilia Mukai, UH Hilo HOSA faculty adviser, shared, “By competing in these events detailing healthcare provider skills, students learn invaluable lessons to last them a lifetime. We are all very proud of these students’ efforts and accomplishments.”

Hawaiʻi HOSA provides opportunities for secondary and postsecondary students to develop character and apply leadership skills within the area of the healthcare industry. It is one of the five Career and Technical Student Organizations in Hawaiʻi. UH Hilo HOSA is a Registered Independent Student Organization (RISO).