I am a 16-year-old junior at Edisto High School and attend the Cope Area Career Center, where I am in my first year of health services study. My dream is to become a pediatric nurse.

Earlier this month, I was elected the state secretary of the Health Occupation Students of America at its leadership conference in Charleston. This is really an honor for someone from rural South Carolina.

A student-led organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in health care and to enhance the delivery of quality to all people, HOSA provides a program of leadership development, motivation and recognition for students enrolled in health science technology education.

The rapidly changing state of our health care system has increased the demand for dedicated health workers. HOSA helps to develop not only the technical skills needed in health care, but also the personal and professional characteristics members of a health care team require.

HOSA also seeks to help communities through service projects. The theme of the 2006 -2008 National Service project is “Autism Speaks.” A child is diagnosed with autism every 20 minutes. HOSA members across the state conduct various fundraisers for this cause.

In addition, HOSA helps its members by offering several scholarship opportunities. At the State Leadership Conference over $9,000 worth of scholarships were awarded to selected HOSA members.

I would recommend HOSA to anyone enrolled in a secondary, post-secondary, adult or collegiate Health State Technology Education program. It is 100 percent about healthcare. For more information, see www.schosa.org.

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