Fayetteville-Manlius High School students in the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Club attended the New York Spring Leadership Conference this spring, bringing home several awards.
The HOSA Club was founded last year when student Alexis Forbes asked physics teacher Alexa Estock to help F-M establish its own chapter. The organization aims to empower students interested in a career in healthcare by actively promoting career opportunities in the health industry. 
This spring, F-M’s HOSA chapter joined high schools from across the state, including chapters from New York City and Buffalo, at the leadership conference, which was held in Syracuse. After months of studying and preparation, students competed in a range of events related to the field of healthcare, including emergency medical technician (EMT), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid, public health, medical spelling, dental science, pharmacy science, sports medicine, forensic science, and cultural diversities and disparities in healthcare.
F-M students took home several awards, including nine gold medals, six silver medals, three bronze medals, and other recognitions. Three students even earned the opportunity to compete further at the HOSA International Leadership Conference. Stella Affeldt, Sureeta Das, and Sanaa Goyal will be traveling to Texas this June to represent F-M and compete in their events at this multi-day conference. There, they’ll compete against students from all fifty states and even other countries, such as China, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. The theme of the conference will be “Dare to Create,” challenging students to find new ways to think about healthcare.
