Del. students land on top in national healthcare events

Photo courtesy of HOSA-Future Health Professionals Facebook.

Ten Delaware high schoolers secured top 10 finishes in the 46th annual HOSA-Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference in Dallas, which wrapped up Saturday.

The conference is for students who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. 

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in career-focused competitive events, take part in community service work and leadership opportunities.

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More than 150 students and advisors from across the state joined more than 12,000 other participants in Dallas. Competitive events that included: medical math, public health, behavioral health, community awareness and more.

Here’s who earned recognition:

• Arjun Bharath, from Middletown High School (Appoquinimink), earned 3rd place bronze in the Human Growth & Development event.
• Elissa Kouemeni, from Odessa High School (Appoquinimink), finished top 10 in the Health Career Photography event.
• Maria Pulido, from Sussex Central High School (Indian River), finished top 10 in the Interviewing Skills event. 
• Fatima Cruz-Ocampo, from Delcastle High School (New Castle County Vo-Tech), finished top 10 in the Medical Assisting event. 
• Abdel Abounabet, from Newark Charter School, finished top 10 in the Pharmacology event.
• Guo; Kim; Liu; and Nabung, all from Newark Charter School, finished top 10 in the Public Health event.
• Sahaana Rajagopalan, from Charter School of Wilmington, finished top 10 in the Academic Testing Center Leadership event.

Padua Academy’s Sanya Dudeja also won the Barbara James Service Award. 

Emily McCullough, Lily Joyce and Kyli Doyon from Cape Henlopen High all won the Outstanding HOSA Achievement, which is in recognition of the work performed in partnership with the Delaware Division of Public Health in creating a public service announcement and sharing valuable information about substance abuse. 

Jarek Rutz

Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.

Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz