For the second year in a row, students affiliated with Health Occupations Students of America represented Diamond Bar High School and qualified to compete at the International Leadership Conference.

Vice President of Competitive Events junior Marcus Hsieh won first place in the Medical Law and Ethics event in addition to placing top ten in Epidemiology. Meanwhile, HOSA president junior Kelsey Wu and vice president of Non-Competitive Events junior Elim Jiang placed second as partners in the Public Health presentation event.

“Personally, I was really nervous because I had not given a live presentation in almost over two years,” Jiang said.

To prepare for the event, HOSA frequently met for informational meetings and study sessions during lunch. In addition to this, the competitors dedicated many hours to prepare, from practicing hours every week leading up to the SLC event to cramming extra practice the morning of the competition.

“We were able to see all those hours of preparation pay off and guide us to achieve what we set out to accomplish and be proud about our performance, no matter the result,” Jiang said.

The 56 competitive events focused on various medical specialties, such as Nursing Assistance, Behavioral Health and Forensic Science. All events include two rounds, some of which were virtual while others included a live practical portion. 

“At SLC, we not only compete in our respective events but also are exposed to and given the opportunity to interact with industry professionals as well as other students all across California,” sophomore Lauren Chai said.

Professional-level workshops were also offered by a multitude of health career industry leaders and ranged from seminars to open-forum discussions. The workshops provided an opportunity to gain networking and internal insight through college and career fairs, as well as access to mental health and wellness information.

“SLC in particular really allowed us to be independent and take control over our learning and other social opportunities that we would not have been provided with otherwise,” Chai said. 

While not every competitor from DBHS placed, all affiliated members of HOSA who competed at the Regional Leadership Conference qualified to compete at SLC. For their success in the event, Hsieh, Wu and Jiang will advance to the International Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in June.