Twelve students who competed in the 2016 Texas Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Area 4 Leadership Conference in El Paso qualified to advance to the State Leadership Conference at the Galveston Island Convention Center, April 14-16.

The conference showcased HOSA students’ knowledge in various medical occupations through competitive academic events that required students to utilize skills used in real-world medical careers. Sophomore Tucker Fischbacher placed first in the medical spelling event and will advance to the state conference.

“I competed last year in the same event, but this year my classes got a little harder, so I couldn’t study as much,” Fischbacher said. “I think last year’s knowledge along with being in my HST class really helped because I became more accustomed to those words.”

As well as medical spelling, students participating in pathophysiology, dental science, health career display, HOSA Bowl, clinical specialty and medical law and ethics will advance to state as well. Fischbacher said he won his event after numerous rounds of spelling different words relating to careers medical science.

“It went on for about 30 rounds,” Fischbacher said.“This other girl and I kept either misspelling words or both spelling words right, and then we kept going until I eventually won.”

While Fischbacher placed well in his event, the conference, however, did not begin as smoothly. The school went into a lockdown after a man was seen on school property with a firearm.

“We were sitting in the auditorium listening to a mariachi band and a HOSA representative told us we were in a lockdown,” Fischbacher said. “I didn’t know this at the time, but there had been a guy who robbed a McDonald’s about a block away, and he had ran onto the school’s property with a gun.”

Shortly after the lockdown had been lifted, Fischbacher said a fire drill took place and the students were asked to make their way outside.

“At first, I told everyone to run, but someone came up to me and said ‘what if the gunman was waiting outside?’” Fischbacher said. “Our teacher told us the gunman had been detained, and we could go outside.”

Despite the rocky start, Fischbacher said Canyon HOSA students competed well at the conference.

“After the lockdown and fire drill, the competition went fine,” Fischbacher said. “Twelve students are going to state, and this is most we’ve had advance in recent years.”

1st Place Medical Spelling- Tucker Fischbacher

2nd Place Health Career Display- Alyssa Guerra and Lauryn Kimbrough

2nd Place HOSA Bowl- Raegan Higgins, Shawn Williams and Caden Zotter

1st Place Clinical Specialty- Jessica Medina

1st Place Dental Terminology- Cody Moore

2nd Place Medical Law and Ethics- Lani Belle Vanlandingham

2nd Place Pathophysiology- Braedon Elmquist

3rd Place Dental Science- Bryan Valdez

2nd Place Growth and Development- Berkley Bowman