April 8-9 was filled with many learning experiences for five high school girls. Early Thursday morning Cassie Stewart, Makayla Kopp, Madi Mudder, Kim Tolsma, and Gracie Small hopped on a bus headed to Sioux Falls for the state HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) event. Kim Velk, a PA-C from Tyndall, and her nurse Lisa Weier mentored these ladies in this trip!

Over the course of two days, the girls were able to attend sessions regarding health care. Three memorable sessions included how to birth a baby (OBGYN), “Stop the Bleed,” and a nursing “escape” room set up as a simulated lab. In “Stop the Bleed,” the girls learned to put the tourniquet high above the injury to stop blood flow from deep wounds. The saying he said to remember was, “high or die.”

Senior Cassie Stewart said, “If you are planning to go to any college for healthcare or work in the medical field, I would highly recommend to join HOSA. HOSA is a great experience for everyone to see the broad range of the healthcare field and it gives you so many opportunities. It also maybe will help you decide where you want to start your life at.”

Stewart and Kopp both competed this year. Kopp competed in Dental Terminology and Stewart competed in both Medical Terminology and Nursing Assistant.

The final event, aside from awards, was a South Dakota based College Fair featuring programs in the medical field. “HOSA was a great experience and I wish I could do it again, but always remember there are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking,” Stewart said.