In 1981, I was attending A.L. Brown High School and an active HOSA member. I participated in the Job Seeking Skills event and placed at the Regional Event, but was unable to attend the state conference due to a family vacation.

I became our chapter s HOSA president my senior year, under the direction of an outstanding HOSA Advisor, Joyce Deal. I developed many new leadership skills, responsibilities, and growth during my office. My teacher was very dear to my heart and had a great impact on my decision to become a nurse.

Through the years I have continued to keep in touch with Mrs. Deal. When I heard of her plans to retire, I knew I wanted to follow in the footsteps of a great teacher, nurse and friend. I applied for her job - and was very disappointed when I wasn t chosen for the position. I didn t realize that God had different plans for me. One week after my deep disappointment, I was hired as the Health Occupations teacher at Central Cabarrus High School.

Not only was I fortunate enough to become a HOSA Advisor, but I also gained a true friend and co-worker, Dianne Rodgers, the new HOSA Advisor at A.L. Brown High School.

At Central Cabarrus, the HOSA chapter had become obsolete. When I became the Health Occupations teacher, I promoted the benefits of being member of HOSA, and 51 students joined.

We chose our officers and held an installation banquet for them. I required that they wear “Sunday clothes,” and I made each one of them a corsage. We had a guest speaker and it was a great success. I heard positive comments from the students and for the first time, I was SO proud to have reached my goal to become a Health Occupations teacher.

This year, we ve had several fundraisers, a food drive, and at Christmas we visited a nursing home and the Pediatrics Department at the hospital. It was rewarding for all, both young and old.

I am very excited about our upcoming HOSA State Leadership Conference. I am taking fourteen students with me. Seven are competing, and one is a state officer candidate. The students have been dedicated and working hard to prepare. The students have raised the money to pay their way to the state conference, and hopefully the National Conference.

I am so proud that I ve been given the opportunity to be a HOSA Advisor. I feel like I am making a difference in the lives of others, and I hope I ll be as good of a role model as my Health Occupations teacher. Working with HOSA has been awesome and worth every bit of the effort and extra work it has taken.

It has been great fulfilling my dream, but I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn. I want to be the best teacher and HOSA Advisor that I can be.