Four Bioscience Students Take Top-10 Honors at HOSA Conference

The 12 Eastland-Fairfield Bioscience students gather in front of the HOSA banner after competitions ended.

EFCTS  |  July 27, 2022

The 2022 HOSA-Future Health Professionals international conference was held in Nashville, Tenn. June 22-25, where a host of Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical students traveled to represent and compete against students from across the country and internationally. The Bioscience satellite program, hosted at Gahanna Lincoln High School, witnessed 12 of its students present projects on various topics with four placing in the top 10 of their respective categories. 

More than 10,500 middle, high school and post-secondary students from all over the United States, China and Canada participated in this year’s HOSA International Leadership Conference, held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Hotel. The conference includes competitive events focused on leadership, professional and technical skills; the annual business of the organization; educational seminars; workshops and exhibits presented by professional partners; opportunities to meet people from across the globe with similar career goals, and general sessions that provide recognition and opportunity for all HOSA members.

Recent Gahanna Lincoln graduates M'Kaia Trent and Harshitha Vathyam made their second trip to the HOSA international conference. Trent and Vathyam placed fourth overall in the Health Career Display category following their presentation, marking a great improvement from the previous year. In 2021, the duo advanced to the second round of the competition but placed outside of the top 10 in the Medical Innovation category.

M'Kai Trent and Harshitha Vathyam pose with their fourth-place awards at HOSA 2022.Pictured: M'Kai Trent (left) and Harshitha Vathyam (right).

 

Eastland-Fairfield saw two additional top-10 placements with Landon Keenan and Eliza Brofford each doing so as individuals. Keenan, a recent graduate from Gahanna Lincoln, took ninth place in the extemporaneous writing event. Brofford, a junior also from Gahanna Lincoln, took 10th overall in the clinical specialty event.

Landon Keenan poses with his award outside of the hotel and convention center.Pictured: Landon KeenanEach event puts competitors through two rounds of presentations to determine their placement in the competition. Reigning state champion Morgan Albert (Jr., Gahanna Lincoln) advanced to the second round in the healthy lifestyle category, while the team of juniors Zoey Callander (Gahanna Lincoln), Simona Hagos (Gahanna Lincoln), Francesca Nuss (Gahanna Lincoln), and Grace Wolfe (Gahanna Lincoln) also made it two round two of the public health competition. 

Also making their debuts at the HOSA international conference were juniors Anthony Lin (Biomedical Engineering), Ellie Long (Clinical Specialty), and state champion Stella Brofford (Clinical Specialty).

According to Bioscience instructor Kelly Lewis, among the participating Ohio HOSA chapters, only one placed more students inside the top 10 than the EFCTS/Gahanna Lincoln chapter.

Bioscience is one of three Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools satellite programs located inside Clark Hall at Gahanna High School. More information on the Bioscience program can be found online at www.EastlandFairfield.com/bioscience. For more information about Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools and its high school and adult programs, please visit www.EastlandFairfield.com

Eliza Brofford poses with her award following the HOSA competition award ceremony.Pictured: Eliza Brofford

About HOSA HOSA-Future Health Professionals is a global student-led organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services and several federal and state agencies. HOSA’s mission is to empower HOSA-Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community, through education, collaboration, and experience.

About Eastland-Fairfield Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools is the seventh-largest career and technical education district, geographically, in the State of Ohio. We serve more than 5,000 students in 16 school districts throughout Franklin, Fairfield and Pickaway counties. Eastland-Fairfield provides more than 40 programs to over 1,400 high school and adult students. The district has two main campuses — Eastland Career Center in Groveport and Fairfield Career Center in Carroll, with satellite locations at four of our associate high schools: Gahanna Lincoln, Groveport Madison, New Albany, and Pickerington North. 

Founded in 1969. Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools’ mission is to engage, enrich, and equip students every day in every experience. We prepare students to pursue their life’s next E: Employment, Enlistment, Entrepreneurship, and/or additional Education. Visit us online at www.eastlandfairfield.com and follow us on TwitterFacebookInstagramYouTube, and LinkedIn for regular updates, fun content and information.