Media Relations, Adair County Schools
Five Adair County High School students in the Health Sciences career pathway competed March 16-18, 2017 at the state HOSA-Future Health Professionals conference in Louisville. Going against more than 1,400 students from across Kentucky, the Adair County delegation impressed, performing well in several disciplines and earning one top-five finish.
“There’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation that goes into it,” says health sciences teacher and HOSA sponsor Jennifer Carter. “They had to work and fundraise just to get there, so they’ve got skin in the game. I was very proud of them.”
The participating students included three seniors (Christina Hayden, Hayley Reynolds, and Ch’Dara Wheat) and two sophomores (Tori Kimbler and Leevin Smith). Hayden, competing against almost 30 students in the home health aide discipline, finished fourth. She was given a scenario with three objectives to complete while an evaluator observed and rated her performance.
“It felt like I was in a real-life situation,” Hayden explains. “It’s more like how doing that job in the real world would be.”
The other students say they gained valuable knowledge about their prospective work environments as well. “It was something I had never done before,” Wheat says. “It was a really good experience and I feel like I learned a lot.”
This is the second consecutive year ACHS has competed at the conference. Carter says the experience helps students understand the professionalism and dedication required of a healthcare worker. “It’s a good opportunity for them to network with others in the field and a good opportunity to learn in that type of professional setting,” Carter says. “It’s different from being in a classroom and I think they all benefited from being able to go.”