Tomorrow’s leaders shine at state HOSA conference

Greensboro – For a span of three days, the student body at Robbinsville High School was slightly thinned out.

But future success often requires current sacrifice, so 20 Graham County pupils forsook much of their local responsibilities for the three-day state Health Occupations Students of America Leadership Conference, which was held March 9-12.

While several individual accolades allowed Robbinsville to impact the event, it was the efforts locally that paved the way for the highest honor awarded at the state level.

Robbinsville High was given the distinguished Gold Star Award, which is given to a HOSA club that goes the extra mile for its community. Thanks to its efforts toward an American Red Cross blood drive – as well as a National Service Project Award distinction, presented because of Robbinsville HOSA’s diligence to raise funds for blood-cancer patients, as well as the Be the Match Foundation – the Graham County chapter received the honor.

Of the 20 Robbinsville students that went to the conference, 10 advanced to the second round, while seven remained in the finals. Baylee Parham missed the awards podium by one spot, taking fourth in the Job Seeking Skills competition. Dallas Garrett placed fifth in Medical Assisting – where Garrett exhibited her nursing-type skills – while Lindsay Brittain took sixth in the Healthcare Issue Exam, a test that quizzes students on current-day medical events.

Additionally, Robbinsville’s HOSA Bowl team – comprised of Halee Anderson, Ally Ayers, Sarah Gibby and Kelsey Waldroup – finished seventh overall in the competition. The format sees teams tasked with answering questions on anatomy, physiology and HOSA facts in the opening round, before competing with other HOSA teams in later rounds. Scholarships were also awarded to Gibby, Parham and Waldroup at the conference. Gibby was afforded a scholarship in memory of Shawn Blanton, a former HOSA student and state trooper that was killed in 2008 in Canton, while in the line of duty.

Eight of Robbinsville’s HOSA members will compete at the International Competition in June, which will be held in Nashville, Tenn.: Anderson, Ayers, Brittain, Garrett, Gibby, Haize Moore, Parham and Waldroup.