Elizabethton HOSA Team Clinches Victory and Heads to Nationals

Elizabethton – The Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) team from Elizabethton High School has emerged victorious. They aced all challenges in the Health Knowledge Bowl at the recent state level SkillsUSA competition and booked a ticket to the Nationals in June.

The Journey to Victory

The team, composed of two seniors, Lindy Simerly and Hannah McCoy, junior Jocelin Julian, and sophomore Taylor Whitson demonstrated exceptional teamwork and preparation at the competition held in Chattanooga. It was their first time competing in the Health Knowledge Bowl and they didn’t disappoint.

The road to victory wasn’t without obstacles and challenges. The rigor of the competition was evident in the two-part challenge in which teams had to tackle a written exam and a live quiz bowl. Katie Dugger, the team sponsor, praised the girls for their competitiveness and resilience.

Buzzer Challenge and Teamwork

While demonstrating their precise medical knowledge was vital, the real challenge was to be the first to buzz in with the correct answer. Timing was everything. “Sometimes we forgot to buzz even when we knew the answers,” Julian revealed.

Despite a few slips and missteps, the team held their own and outpaced their rivals. “There were a couple times that the other team beat us to the buzzer, but we came back by answering their missed questions correctly,” McCoy teased out.

Spelling Matters

In addition to the speed of response, accurate spelling was key. As Simerly, a team member, explained, “Spelling is crucial when it comes to the medical field. A simple change of a couple of letters could give a word a whole different meaning so it is important for patients that we are able to spell these words correctly.”

The teamwork and camaraderie among the students own much to their success. The collective effort, intelligence, and competitive spirit of each member clearly played a part in their triumph.

Preparations for the Nationals

With the state victory behind them, the team is now concentrating on the national competition. They plan numerous study dates and intensive online study guides review sessions in the coming weeks. The goal is not merely to participate but to leave a mark on the national stage.

“Since nationals is expected to be more difficult, we will definitely be putting more time into our studying and hopefully have more group study sessions,” Simerly shared their strategy. Each member will also undertake individual studies on dedicated areas to maximize their knowledge depth.

With remarkable teamwork, precise knowledge, and unwavering determination, the Elizabethton HOSA team is now ready to take on the national competition. The budding health professionals have demonstrated their dexterity at the state level, and are now looking forward to making their mark on the national stage in Atlanta, Georgia.