USD Sponsored High Schools Students Earn Honors at International Health Conference
South Dakota HOSA is an initiative sponsored by the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and the South Dakota Area Health Education Center.
Sophia VanBuskirk, a student at Harrisburg High School, was awarded first place for her entry in the Health Career Photography category, and a five-person team from Iroquois High School won for their submission in the Health Education category. Iroquois team members were Hayley Geyer, Kaitlyn Maas, Sean McManus, Addison Reed and Caleb Waldner.
Seven other South Dakotans placed in the top ten in three other categories, making this the most successful conference for South Dakota competitors since South Dakota HOSA was organized in 2012.
HOSA was nationally organized in 1976 as a means to inspire high school students to pursue careers in the health sciences, and there are now more than 230,000 HOSA members in 48 states. In South Dakota, HOSA boasts nearly 850 members in 30 different high schools. Leadership for the organization in South Dakota is provided by the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine.
