The Plymouth High School Chapter of the Health Occupations Students of America attended the 35th annual HOSA National Leadership Conference held in Orlando, Fla., June 19–24.
HOSA is a student organization with a mission to promote career opportunities in health care and enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people.
At the conference, PHS HOSA President Kathryn Gurganus presented the chapter newsletter, PHS HOSA Systolic Newsletter. PHS HOSA member Khailah Rawlins presented the chapter scrapbook for outstanding HOSA chapter. both at the HOSA NLC Showcase.
For only the third time in school history, Rawlins won the national award for Outstanding HOSA Chapter, presenting the scrapbook, documenting the activities of the local chapter throughout the year and following the HOSA Plan of Work. The chapter newsletter, which was edited by Gurganus, received the national award for the third straight year.
The chapter was recognized for participating in the National Service Project with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, receiving the Award of Merit.  PHS HOSA Vice President Charlie Moore Jr. was recognized for completing the National HOSA Recognition Award Program.
“All three individuals put in hours of work to accomplish these feats,” stated Linda P. West, PHS HOSA adviser.
At the closing ceremony, Sophia Barsanti was recognized for placing in the top 10 in researched persuasive speaking. Also, representing PHS and N.C. HOSA on the secondary level were Chelsea Dickerson in medical assisting, Gurganus in knowledge test pharmacology, Moore in job-seeking skills and Rawlins in prepared speaking.
In addition to those students, PHS HOSA alumnus and current UNC-CH HOSA founder and member Warché Downing served national HOSA as a post-secondary board representative. He assisted in conducting all conference sessions. Downing served on the National HOSA Executive Council for the past year.
“When we arrived back in Raleigh at RDU Sunday, the UNC-CH Chancellor, Dr. Holden Thorp, greeted Warché and called him by name. He never ceases to amaze me,” West said.