By Danielle Rohrer ‘27
Conestoga Valley High School officially approved the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) club this August after receiving the go-ahead from High School Principal Matthew Fox. The organization, managed by a team of juniors and seniors, hopes to prepare students for a future career in healthcare.
HOSA is a global organization dedicated to helping students become leaders in the healthcare community by providing education, collaboration, and hands-on experience. Savannah Byers, a new biology teacher and advisor for this club, explained that students interested in healthcare are able to join HOSA to find opportunities to compete and build relationships with like-minded people.
“Healthcare is not going to be an easy career,” Byers commented. “They [club members] should push each other to be better.”
For the officers, this support will carry into their future careers. President Harshit Bhatt (11) wants to become a neurosurgeon. Vice President Eliza Hess (11) wants to become a Certified Risk Management Professional and hopes to work overseas in crisis relief for a few years. Both expressed that HOSA will help them connect to people inside and outside the club. It will introduce them to students with similar interests and will help improve their communication skills.
Treasurer Jude Sanger (11) plans to be a nurse aesthetician and wants to utilize his last two years at CV to develop the necessary resources for his future. According to Sanger, “The club will be a really great way to get more exposure to the healthcare field and get more insights into how it works.” Although there are various science-related clubs, there has never been one dedicated to healthcare. Sanger believes HOSA will provide him with the tools he will need for college and a medical career.
Secretary Peyton Sensening (12) knows she wants to be a pediatric, ER, or trauma nurse. Sensening said, “I think I’ll just get a deeper understanding of health. We’re going to try and get speakers that are already in the medical field, so I think hearing their experiences and their journey from high school to college will help me choose my plans.” Learning from current healthcare professionals is one of the many reasons Sensening is inspired to pursue her dreams.
HOSA’s groundwork was finalized after a few students came to Byers during the first week of school to ask if she was interested in advising the club. Although she has never been a club advisor, Byers agreed to fill the role after seeing their passion for healthcare. She noted, “I want to be there for them, help them fundraise, and figure out how to navigate everything.” She plans to lean into her role as a facilitator by allowing the officers to decide what they want to do with the club.
The leadership team is working behind the scenes to create fundraisers, drives, and community events, all of which will help them raise money to compete in competitions in the future. Hess and Sensening have shown excitement over the possibility of doing a blood drive this winter. They plan to allow teachers, students, and the Lancaster community to donate blood.
Bhatt and Sanger have interest in the competitions coming up in the next few years. Sanger explained that there are a variety of competitions for different fields of healthcare, while Bhatt said he was looking forward to the State Leadership Conference.
The club prepares to hold its informational meeting on October 5th and begin accepting members soon after. Dr. Fox has used the school’s official instagram account to promote the club and to encourage students to join.
“I can do morning announcements, I’ve posted stuff on our instagram account, but I also would support the different events that we have planned,” Fox commented about his contributions to the club. “I can be an advocate and I can be a liaison.”
The officers are also dedicating their time to finding students eager to expand their knowledge and develop soft skills. According to Bhatt, “We’re looking for people who like leadership. People that want to go into healthcare and just want to hang out with people that have similar interests.”
Hess noted they are looking for students that are passionate about healthcare. She encouraged those interested in learning more about healthcare to join because there will be many opportunities for students to experience and reflect on the medical industry.