Students win health career awards

Yidiayah Box (left) and Sydney Williams placed first in regional competition and advanced to the international competition in June.

Heights High Career and Technical Education (CTE) students Yidiayah Box and Sydney Williams placed first in the Ohio Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) competition in Toledo on April 19 and 20, and qualified for the international competition in Orlando, Fla., June 21–24. They were among 16 Heights High CTE students who competed in the 40-event regional HOSA competition.

Box, a junior, is in the Sports Medicine and Exercise Science program and won first place in the Job Seeking Skills competition. She was judged on the strength of her resume content and cover letter.

“Her resume reflects her activities and leadership,” said Sports Medicine and Exercise Science teacher Casey Graham. “It demonstrated her high achievement and really helped her win this award.”

Box is part of the Early College Program and takes classes at John Carroll University. She recently completed an internship with the athletic trainers at Heights High; has earned certifications in American Red Cross First Aid, CPR and AED; and is vice president of the Heights High HOSA chapter. She is also a member of the Law & Leadership Institute, Open Doors Academy, Leading Ladies and Minority Student Achievement Network. She also works at Wendy’s restaurant.

Williams is a senior in the Clinical Health Careers program and placed first in the 15-round medical terminology spelldown. She correctly spelled all the medical terms in the competition, including “sphygmomanometer,” “resuscitation” and “somnolence.”

As a student in the CTE program, she has earned the American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR certification, completed clinical rotations in health care and took the State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) certification test. She also works at Papa John's Pizza and volunteers with her church. In the fall, Williams will attend Ashland University where she plans to major in biology/pre-medicine.

“Sydney puts school work first, has great time management skills, is calm and focused and is a very good speller,” said her CTE teacher, Nancy Ballou, RN. “These are all skills needed for success in college. I know she has a bright future ahead of her.”

Ballou will accompany the students to the International HOSA competition in June.

Joy Henderson

Joy Henderson is the parent/community liaison for Heights High.

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Volume 10, Issue 6, Posted 7:36 PM, 06.02.2017