I have always wanted to become a doctor since I was a little girl because I wanted to help my parents who are diabetic.

Breanna Navarro

By June Peers

Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) is an emerging club at Granada Hills Charter (GHC) for the 2023-2024 school year. Since its establishment in 1976, HOSA has reached over 260,000 members across numerous countries including China, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

With the organization’s large outreach, club founder and president Breanna Navarro felt it was necessary to further HOSA’s influence on her fellow peers. As a junior on campus, Navarro recognized how GHC had a great abundance of STEM academic teams, but lacked clubs that specialized in the medical field. With her aspirations of becoming a doctor, she aims to inspire other students with similar aspirations.

Though there was already a medical club on campus, HTP-Pre-Health Shadowing, Navarro realized that she could adopt a different approach when teaching students about medical topics. Though last year, HTP was informative as it had professional doctors visit students through Zoom to discuss their experiences in the medical field, it lacked a hands-on approach that could be beneficial to tactile learners. 

As a result, Navarro created HOSA in her sophomore year with the intended purpose of fostering and celebrating skills that go beyond memorizing medical information. 

Although the club does seek to challenge its participants academically, it also encourages its members to serve their community. Throughout the school year, HOSA will provide volunteer opportunities, such as food and toy drives that allow local communities to donate to hospitalized children.

Though HOSA hopes to live up to its expectations of attending competitions and hosting community service projects, it may be limited in its ability to do so due to its new arrival at GHC and its title as a “club” rather than an academic team.

“We are working hard to have our current club become an established academic team and official HOSA chapter,” junior and treasurer Sofia Rodriguez said. “Breanna, our president, has tirelessly worked for two years to make this change, so we can allow more students to compete without worrying about club dues or competition fees.”

One of these competitions is the Cal-HOSA State Leadership Conference which will be held in April of 2024. At this conference, HOSA members would be able to network with professionals in the medical field, listen to inspirational speakers, and attend workshops. There will be over 60 events for the future health professionals.

The main event includes a writing test that allows top competitors to advance to the final stage of trivia. However, more niche events promote specific talents. With events, such as biomedical debate, math, and even a spelling bee with medical terms, students can explore many different forms of expressing their knowledge and determine which form is best suited for their skills.

The club hopes that by gaining more student participation, their efforts will not only earn them the title of a “team,” but also allow aspiring young doctors to learn more about the medical field with little to no financial burden. 

If you are interested in joining, HOSA holds meetings every Monday after school in C4.