Some Dearborn High School students interested in medical careers won at a state competition and are now fundraising to make their way to a national conference in June.
The students are part of the Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) organization at Dearborn High. The school’s Parliamentary Procedures Team took first place at the Michigan State Leadership Conference in Traverse City in April 2023. The team includes tenth graders Donna Chamas, Aymen Fakhoury, Ali Abdelhafez, Hawraa Alzergani, and Bissan Elzein, and 11th grader Ahmed Alcodray. Club president Mohamad Sobh also took third in Prepared Speaking. More than 2,500 students from across Michigan attended the state competition.
The strong showing at the state competition qualifies the students to attend the International Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas on June 20 to 25. The students are trying to fundraise $5,000 to help offset the entry fees and travel expenses related to the trip.
“Unfortunately, the high travel expenses and registration fees are not attainable for many of our students to pay. With your help, we are hoping to lower the price to ease the strain our families face in paying for our trip and allowing us to experience this amazing opportunity,” the group wrote on its GoFundMe page.
The club advisor is teacher Rania Bazzi-Hijazi.
“I enjoy HOSA a lot because they provide students with opportunities to explore all types of competitions oriented towards the health fields. Also, HOSA encourages students to ‘Go Beyond All Limits’ in any activity they participate in,” Sobh said.