Juanita Sanchez Students Shine on the National HOSA Stage
True transformation often requires a change of scenery. In our case, it was a move from the familiar streets of South Providence to the global stage. As our students traveled from the Juanita Sanchez Life Science Institute to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the 50th anniversary of HOSA’s (Health Occupations Students of America) International Leadership Conference (ILC), it was a transformative experience like no other. This journey was more than a competition–it was a transformation that either changed their perspective about their place in the world or solidified their purpose and passion for a career in medicine.
When 14,000 like-minded peers gather at a single convention center, students gain opportunities to meet new friends, make lasting, meaningful memories, and build social capital with industry leaders and through inspiring stories. Our students quickly learned that travel experiences not only break the monotony of the urban cityscape but also replace it with a bright, shimmering world of possibilities. It is a story of how traveling to inspiring locations teaches students that their future is not just a dream, but a destination.
HOSA is a National organization whose mission is to empower HOSA-Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience. Every year, students have the opportunity to showcase their healthcare knowledge in college and career readiness by excelling at the state level, earning a spot at the national level, and ultimately attending HOSA’s International Leadership Conference (ILC). ILC is the premier HOSA event of the year, where over 14,000 competitors from over 100 chartered associations compete to become an international champion in one of HOSA’s competitive events.
While there, students met accomplished health professionals and notable alumni and visited 162 exhibitors representing colleges and professional health associations. Students also had the opportunity to choose experiences from 145 different hands-on workshops led by health professionals.
The conference began with an early morning registration where students were adorned with glittery light-up glasses, shirts, a clear stadium bag, and 20 Rhode Island trading pins, which our very own Angie Cruz designed. Unbeknownst to us, RI pins were quite the trading commodity, and students were grabbed and pulled aside from our group for our desired pins before we had a chance to gather our bearings. Despite being thrown into the world of aggressive pin-trading negotiations right from the start, our students quickly caught on and developed impressive skills in the art of making a “pin” deal themselves.
The HOSA expo was the best place to be for students who were either not competing or attending a workshop. At the Expo, which was held in one of the largest ballrooms, students could trade pins, talk to participating colleges, check out who was offering the best programs and scholarships, and participate in fun interactive anatomy activities like Anatomage (a life-size interactive touchscreen that allows for virtual dissection with real-human-based anatomical models), Body Sims (a web-based virtual patient simulator to diagnose and treat medical conditions), and rescue response. The symposium vendors also offered a variety of free items, so we all filled our bags with coffee mugs, pens, pins, and trinkets.
After sorting through our collectibles, it was time to head back to the hotel to freshen up and change into our formal HOSA attire for the opening ceremonies.
Attached to the downtown convention center in Indianapolis sits the vast Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. For a young person growing up in an under-resourced inner-city neighborhood, the world is often defined by boundaries: the block you live on, the height of the chain-link fences, the weathered asphalt of the schoolyard, and the low-slung, cramped spaces of aging neighborhood buildings. Stepping into Lucas Oil Stadium for the very first time completely shatters that sense of scale. It wasn’t just a trip to a cool stadium; it was a sensory overload that altered their perception of what human hands can build.
As the students sat down in their seats, they had a direct view of the giant 53-foot HD video boards flashing neon graphics. In that moment, the concert-like atmosphere, filled with strobe lights and sparklers, and rows of cold sparkling fountains shooting upward from the front of the stage, brought the stage to life. As thousands of tiny, glowing golden embers fountain into the air, creating a shimmering, crackling wall of fire, the ambient roar of 14,000 people singing “Baby, baby, baby, oh / Like baby, baby, baby, no / Like baby, baby, baby, oh / I thought you’d always be mine, mine.” by Justin Bieber made the experience electric.
For an underserved student, the true impact of this moment isn’t just the architecture of the stadium or the electricity of the concert-like experience; it’s the psychological expansion of being a part of something bigger than themselves and their humble communities. The world suddenly feels infinitely bigger, louder, and more full of possibility than it did just twenty minutes prior outside the gates.
During the opening ceremonies, we also heard from the student-led HOSA Executive Council of elected officers, which was inspiring. They were remarkably well-spoken and passionate about their belief in what HOSA stands for and the opportunities it provides to future health professionals. We then met a teenager who was dying from a rare cancer and needed a bone marrow donation to survive. When a HOSA student decided to register her bone marrow in a “Be The Match” Campaign, she soon found out she was a match and, without hesitation, decided to donate her bone marrow to a perfect stranger. She later learned her bone marrow went to a teenager like herself who ultimately survived a life-threatening illness due to the marrow donation given by a HOSA member. They met on stage for the first time. As they embraced over a bone marrow donation that has connected them forever, we all cheered with tears in our eyes and love in our hearts. We were truly moved.
As the ceremonies came to a close, we mused over the excitement in the air and the inspirational stories that led us here. On the way back to the hotel, we were caught in a thunderstorm and a tornado warning, so we slowly made our way back through the indoor connecting pedestrian walkways and skywalks to avoid the wild weather outside that was holding us hostage. By the time we reached the convention center, the weather broke long enough for us to make a quick dash back to our hotel.
On day two, we had to fix most of our projects because we had to disassemble posters and one team’s robotic knee in order to get on the plane. By the time the students finished putting their projects back together, we noticed a large number of people heading to the stadium across the street from our hotel, which is apparently the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena, the home stadium of the Indiana Pacers and the WNBA Indiana Fever professional basketball teams. We decided it would be cool to attend the game, and within a few hours before the game, we secured the few remaining seats to experience this new adventure together, as none of us had been to a WNBA game before. It was awe-inspiring and absolutely even more electric.
After a day of project preparations and a night full of WNBA fun, we were ready to compete. As mentioned earlier, the International Leadership Conference (ILC) is the premier global event for students pursuing careers in healthcare. It provides a platform for students to sharpen their technical skills, develop leadership, and network with industry professionals from around the world.
This year on March 6th, our HOSA team dominated the State Leadership Conference, earning 12 gold and silver medals for their remarkable health care projects which brough them to ILC, that included a campaign on Blood Disease Awareness and the “Be the Match” registry, a Health Career Display that included a deep dive into Immunology featuring custom 3D-printed viruses and original art, the development of a cutting-edge emergency support platform, a robotic knee prototype designed to assist movement prior to surgery or in lieu of knee surgery, and a Healthcare Photography project that documented the lives and insights of leading oncologists and orthopedic surgeons. All teams did remarkably well and won much praise from their peers, other HOSA advisors, and judges for their inspiring projects.
When students were asked what the International Leadership conference meant to them, Adam Sackor, a member of the robotic knee team, said it best: “ Attending the HOSA International Leadership Conference was a truly meaningful and rewarding experience. The conference provided me with the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and connect with students from around the world during this five-day event. Throughout the trip, I gained valuable experiences, including competing in my event, trading pins with participants from different regions, and building friendships with many of the students I met.
One of the most inspiring aspects of the conference was seeing the dedication, creativity, and hard work that other students invested in their projects. Observing their accomplishments motivated me to continue pursuing excellence in my own endeavors.
As I look ahead, I plan to remain an active member of HOSA because it has given me the opportunity to explore careers in healthcare and develop both professional and personal skills. If given the chance, I would gladly attend the conference again next year. This was one of the most impactful trips I have ever experienced, not only because of the relationships I built and the memories I created, but also because of the knowledge, skills, and inspiration I gained for my future in healthcare.” Adam’s teammates, Elijah and Rose, not only agreed with Adam and shared how much they loved the event, especially the pin trading and meeting new people, but Elijah went on to state, “This trip has been one of the most exhilarating experiences that I’ve ever partaken in. I’ve learned a lot of essentials from HOSA over the past five days at the ILC (2026), such as stepping out of my comfort zone, building social skills for health care, and hearing different perspectives/stories about the medical field. I was truly inspired by the keynote speaker, Chris Norton, who, during a football match, was paralyzed, and the doctors told him he could never move again. But that did not stop him; he trained, never gave up, to the point where he could move some of his body parts, and if he can never give up on his goals, so can I. After achieving and seeing all this awesome stuff, I would do HOSA again.”
As our Seniors’ HOSA Journey Concludes, Here is their Story:
Our HOSA President, Veasna Yean, has been a HOSA member since 9th grade. When she won praise from their judges and advisors her first year, she knew she wanted to do more, learn more, and one day wear that gold medal around her neck. After two State Leadership Conferences where she and her partner won silver medals for their research on Orthopedic surgery and Sports medicine, their research on Immunology won them gold this year. Here is their story, which resonates with all of our seniors.
“As I graduated the week prior to attending my final HOSA ILC in Indianapolis, IN. I went into the eventful week worried about not making it a week to remember, constantly overthinking my competition, and not being enough to win. Now that it’s come to an end, the things that stuck with me were different than what my mind was hyper focused on. I realized that what matters most is the memories you make along the way, the growth you see in yourself and your peers, and the hard work that led to that very moment of stepping onto the plane.
HOSA has taught me countless lessons about myself, passion, and healthcare. The organization is more than the competition – I’ve learned how to voice myself in leadership, projects, and discussions that I was dedicated to. HOSA has taught me, and will forever remind me, that to be a part of the change you wish the future to be, you HAVE to put yourself out there even when you’re tired, lazy, or feel like giving up.
As many say that their favorite memories from HOSA ILC are pin trading, which I can agree with, I’d say I enjoyed getting to know my Juanita Sanchez HOSA chapter members. It is one thing to go to school with one another, but being able to live an experience with my peers who work just as hard is refreshing. We had conversations outside of just school work, extracurriculars, and sports – We spoke on our motivations, favorite foods, and got to know what bothers each other most. And that alone outweighs the rarest pins you can collect.
Another important and honorable mention of my trip was meeting chapters outside of our small state, Rhode Island; my favorites were American Samoa and Hawaii! I formed genuine friendships with the members and advisors, which made it easier to find a familiar face in the seemingly never-ending crowd. With the 2026 HOSA ILC being my very last high school event, I would not have traded it for anything in the world. I wish for underclassmen to enjoy it as much as I did these past 4 years, and I hope to come back as a tutor, mentor, or chaperone – helping wherever I can”.
Written by Rosederely Guzman, Chronicle Journalist and JSEC Yearbook Vice-President, and Madeline Chisholm, Biomedical Educator and HOSA Advisor