Members of the new BEA HOSA Club posed for a photo last week, along with their advisor, Brittany Eckhardt.

Blue Earth Area teacher Brittany Eckhardt is the advisor for a new club at the Blue Earth Area High School.

HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America), or now better known as HOSA – Future Health Professionals, is a group that has been in the works at Blue Earth Area High School since this summer.

“It was actually the idea of the club President, Mitchell Stevermer, who approached me this summer wanting to start the club for the upcoming school year. Being a former HOSA member in high school myself and the current Anatomy/Physiology teacher, I thought it was a great idea for me to be the advisor of the club,” Eckhardt commented. “Our current officers include junior Mitchell Stevermer as President, freshman Gracie Asmus as Vice President, senior Madelyn Ferguson as Secretary/Treasurer, and senior Jackie Martinez as Social Media coordinator.”

According to Eckhardt, this club is a student-led organization where students who share an interest in health related careers come together and participate in various activities.

“We have 14 students in grades 9-12 who have committed to the club and they are currently working on preparing for their first competition that will be at Rochester Community Technical College on Jan. 10,” Eckhardt explained. “There are different types of events including traditional tests, skills, group competitions, and general life skills.”

There are over 70 different events that include subjects like behavioral health, dental, medical, nutrition, pharmacology, forensic science, CPR/first aid, clinical lab science, nursing, and so much more, Eckhardt adds.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids to start getting experience in some of these careers to prepare for their futures,” said Eckhardt. “People may have seen our club out and about recently as we’ve attended the Frost Vendor Show in October and the Holiday Sampler, selling baked goods to raise money to help cover costs for competitions.”

As the club continues to grow, they hope to expand their opportunities and events to include hosting guest speakers, touring businesses, and volunteering in the community.

“This club has potential to grow into something really great for the future leaders of our society and I am excited to see all of the effort and dedication that these kids are already putting into it,” Eckhardt explains.

HOSA was founded in 1976 out of a task force from the American Vocational Association in order to determine whether a new student organization accommodating healthcare students was necessary.

The mission of the organization is to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality health care by providing opportunities for knowledge, skill and leadership development of all health occupations and the education of students, therefore, helping the students to meet the needs of the health care industry.

HOSA likens itself to a science laboratory, and just as laboratories in science classes allow students to put theory into practice, the HOSA lab lets members test their personal and leadership skills in real life.