Eight place at HOSA district competition
Photo by Kumu Brooke Nacua
Health Occupations Students of America members Kandace Ota, Tiare Laufou, Sky Chun-Matsukawa, Dylan Falces, Delissa Rano, Joelene Kuaʻana, Jaclyn Gorman, and Teʻa Monden (not pictured) all placed at the Maui district competition at Lahainaluna High School on Monday, January 19.
January 20, 2015
Eight Kamehameha Maui students qualified for the state competition at the HOSA district competition in Lahaina yesterday, January 19.
“I think they’ve performed to my expectations; I’m really happy that we got a variety of students from a variety of grade[s] qualifying, some first timers and some experienced people, so I’m excited for States,” said Kumu Brooke Nacua , Health Occupations Students of America adviser at Kamehameha Maui.
Student participants had different events relating to the medical field to choose from before entering the competition on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Each person had studied and researched to prepare for his or her event in the days leading up to the district competition.
Sophomore Kulia Fernandez, who was in the Medical Terminology event, said, “I just had to continue to study and, like, learn a little bit every single day, so in the end, I could have, like, a bigger, broader idea of what the test would be like.”
Hard work and preparation is the key to success when it comes to HOSA. Student participants worked on their events at home, as well as met with Kumu Nacua for guidance and assistance for months leading up to the big day.
Coming in during and after school was especially helpful for first-year competitors, like freshman Dylan Falces, who was in the Researched Persuasive Speaking event. He said, “I basically had to write a speech, and then go to my HOSA adviser and edit it, and after editing we had to memorize parts of the speech and make flashcards.”
Some students had a lot of material to work with, like sophomore Teʻa Monden, who participated in the Veterinary Science event. She said, “They pretty much gave us huge, huge books, and I just had to study the whole thing.”
After the initial testing, presentations, and drawings for each event, HOSA participants attended two workshops of their choosing out of the variety that was offered, everyone awaiting their results to be announced at the awards ceremony later that afternoon.
Some felt self-assured, like Falces, who said, “I’m excited; I feel very confident, so I’m just hoping for the best.”
Falces was confident for a good reason — he place first in his competition.
Others were a bit more apprehensive. “I’m a bit nervous,” Fernandez said.
After a full day the award ceremony started, and those who placed in the district competition were announced.
- Tiare Laufou, first place, Nursing Assisting
- Dylan Falces, first place, Researched Persuasive Speaking
- Joelene Kuaʻana, second place, Trans-cultural Healthcare
- Jaclyn Gorman, second place, Extemporaneous Health Poster
- Teʻa Monden, second place, Veterinary Science
- Sky Chun-Matsukawa, third place, Medical Reading
- Kandace Ota, fourth place, Medical Terminology
- Delissa Rano, fourth place, Human Growth and Development
These students have the opportunity to compete in the HOSA State Competition being held at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center on Oʻahu, February 10.
As for how well Kamehameha can be expected to do at the State Competition, Kumu Nacua said, “I guess it depends on how much the students are going to be able to prepare for that within the next two weeks…It’s all up to them; it’s in their hands now.”
