Health Occupations Students Of America 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 provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, middle school, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in health science education and biomedical science programs, or those interested in pursuing careers in health professions.
At Athens Drive Magnet Highschool, HOSA is a program that is available as one of the club options. This club helps students with career choices interested in any type of health science as a future career. Students learn more about the occupations and get a chance to figure out if the career they are interested in and to assure is something that they really want to pursue.
HOSA meetings are on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in room 1926A and if after-school hours do not work, key topics can be reviewed on the PowerPoint. All other information on the club can be found on the ADHS HOSA website.
The club does many projects and activities, including food drives and charity fundraisers. HOSA helps out by giving the students a bigger voice. At Athens, the students take advantage of HOSA to help out their community and help support the school.
ADMHS had a very big impact due to the recent COVID Pandemic “Covid knocked out two of our dances,” said Kristen Worrell, HOSA staff advisor. So, HOSA had to stop having the Sweetheart Charity Gala in 2020 and 2021.
For the past years, the Charity Gala at Athens Drive had St. Jude children’s Hospital as its first recipient. For that Sweetheart Gala the charity was more of a “nationwide event,” said Worrell.
The Athens HOSA also supported WakeMed children’s hospital in the second year. After the Pandemic calmed down, Last year HOSA got the okay to start back up the dance last minute. For that Charity Gala, they supported “read and feed”.
The yearly dance has been hosted around Valentine’s day on February 19th for the past years, this year the dance will be held at the same place on February 11th.
Every year, HOSA gets students to fill out a form to vote from a few options for the Charity Gala, and whichever gets the most percentage is the one they will choose for the year’s Sweetheart Charity Gala.
“I took the form in my drive time, and one of the options I remember that was on there was a supporting woman for the charity dance. I voted for supporting women,” said Sebastian Llanos, Junior.
This is an excellent opportunity for the students to support their school and have some fun at the same time. “I want to go to the gala, not just to have fun but also because it’s for charity and I like helping out people,” said Diego Lichtenwalner.
Once HOSA students are ready to release the winning charity contender, they will most likely post it on the HOSA Instagram page or the HOSA ADHS Sweetheart Charity Gala website
along with other information on the gala like prices, dress code, and the time of the gala.
Not all of the students are aware of the gala, but HOSA members are going around to spread awareness of the yearly event that happens at Athens.
“If I find out some more information on the gala I will for sure look into going,” said Atticus Nunally, sophomore.
As for now students are getting hyped up for the winter and getting excited about the Sweetheart charity gala. “Not sure if I will take a date yet but I’m very excited about it and I will definitely go when it comes around,” said Jaylin Miller, sophomore.
All students can go to the gala, they don’t need to take a date to go to the sweetheart gala, students can go on a date, go themselves, with a friend, or maybe even with a group of friends. “I am going to go with my best friend Zavion Ortiz,” said Jayden Segre, sophomore.
The gala is open to not only students but, the staff is also welcome to celebrate valentines and to support charity. Staff members feel as if they are not welcomed to student events to have fun but only to manage, at the gala everyone is free to let loose and have some fun.
“Sounds like a fun way to support some worthy causes, I can’t wait to see all the hard work HOSA has put in to make it all happen,” said Shayla Wiggins, Assistant Principal.
