Polk State Student Qualifies for National HOSA Competition

A Polk State College student has advanced to the Health Occupations Students of America’s (HOSA) national competition.

The Florida HOSA Leadership Conference took place earlier this month in Orlando. There, Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School student Sarah Fleischman placed second in the Clinical Specialty category.

Her strong showing at the state level secured Fleischman, a resident of Eagle Lake,  a spot at the National HOSA Leadership Conference, which will take place in late June in Orlando.

Results from the state conference also included:

Fifth place overall — Malia Hafner, Winter Haven; Raani Islam, Winter Haven; Currie Ann Littleton, Winter Haven; Hayley Lockwood, Winter Haven

Fourth place in Medical Reading — Sydney Weber, Haines City

Also at the state competition, Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate Professor and HOSA Adviser Suzanne Ramjattan Halverson served as event manager of the Sports Medicine category.

HOSA-Future Health Professionals is a national organization for students pursuing careers in the healthcare industry. By providing students with opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and leadership, it aims to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality healthcare.

Polk State College operates two public, charter high schools, Polk State Lakeland Collegiate and Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate in Winter Haven. The schools serve juniors and seniors, allowing them to fulfill requirements for their high school diplomas while also earning college credit — all at no cost. In many cases, students graduate with both their diplomas and associate’s degrees.