As the academic year draws to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students! Congratulations to Grade 11 students Mo Yifei, Zhong Hiutung and Tsang Chun Hei for their outstanding performance in the SKT-HOSA Competition: At the Initial Stage of HOSA, three students received the Group Honour for "Excellence in Curriculum Design"; at the China Summit of HOSA, Mo Yifei and Zhong Hiutung received the "National Silver Honour" for "Health Career Display" and Tsang Chun Hei received the "National Outstanding Honour" for "Researched Persuasive Poster".
From left: Tsang Chun Hei, Mo Yifei, Zhong Hiutung
HOSA, or "Health Occupations Students of America", is the world's most influential platform for health science studies, recognised by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as several federal and state agencies, and is one of the most influential competitions in health-related disciplines. HOSA, also known as HOSA - Future Health Professionals, is dedicated to developing future leaders in the health professions with professional knowledge, leadership skills, and social responsibility.
As a platform bridging campus and industry, SKT-HOSA is committed to cultivating future industry professionals through high-calibre academic activities, impactful community service initiatives, and global student associations. These diverse activities comprehensively enhance students' academic capabilities, professional skills, social practices, and overall leadership, igniting their interest in the healthcare field and nurturing them into global industry leaders.
Stories behind the Winners
The Initial Stage of HOSA 2024 offered three challenge categories: Class A "Academic" (Basic Research of Biochemistry), Class B "Public Walfare" (Public Walfare Influence) and Class C "Career" (Professional Research of Life and Health). The three students participated in the subproject "Public Health Education Project" of Class B.
Dec 2023 - Jan 2024, Dongguan
"At the Initial Stage, we decided to participate in this event because all three of us love Biology and want to further our studies in Biology or psychology in the future, our teacher's encouragement also made us very interested, and it was interests that brought us together. We wanted to get well-rounded practice through the BCE Health Education Programme."
- Tiffany（Zhong Hiutung）
"We designed a mental health lesson with the theme "How do you feel today?", with the help of our teacher, we invited all high school students in the school to fill in the questionnaire "A Survey of Anxiety in ASJ High School Students", and we also interviewed students about their knowledge of anxiety. The whole activity was closely related to "anxiety symptom", "anxiety disorder", "depressive symptom" and "depressive disorder". The purposes of this lesson are help students deepen their understanding of anxiety disorder and to reduce their anxiety in studies, career planning, interpersonal relationships and appearance. At the end of December last year, after submitting the detailed English lesson plan online, it was approved by the HOSA Organising Committee. So, on the 9th of January this year, we successfully entered the HOSA 2024 Qingdao China Summit!”
- Faye (Mo Yifei, Team Leader)
Feb - March 2024, Qingdao, China
"Through the comments and suggestions made by the Hosa judges, we realised the shortcomings of the lesson plan we had previously submitted for the initial stage, and we immediately started working on revising the plan to make every effort to enter the China Summit. ”
- Faye
“As planned, we invited 20 high school students to attend a lecture on mental health, and all of them were so cooperative and gave perfect answers. The support of our classmates made our progress to the China Summit more certain.”
- Huyee (Tsang Chun Hei)
The China Summit added three limited project studies to the initial stage programme. Encouraged by Biology teacher Mr. Rich LAI and Visual Art teacher Mr. Shijian YE, the students actively participated in these projects. Tsang Chun Hei chose a Researched Persuasive Poster on Biochemistry, while Mo Yifei and Zhong Hiutung worked together to create a Health Career Display. They actively searched for information, researched the topic, obtained materials, brainstormed ideas and successfully completed their work within the time limit.
"We were very honoured and excited to be invited to showcase our projects in Qingdao!"
"At the China Summit, we were required to give a 5-minute speech and a 5-minute defence in English for our programme. During the preparation, with the help of our English and Biology teachers, we not only learned to express the content and strength of our project in English, but we also felt the power of teamwork.”
- Faye
"The three days spent in Qingdao also allowed us to get to know many more outstanding peers and excellent teachers."
- Tiffany
"After the intense competition, the GALA night hosted by the organisers allowed us to learn more about the contestants who have been shaped by holistic education - not only excelling in their professional field, but also focusing on developing diverse hobbies and pursuits ......"
- Faye
June 2024, Houston, United States
Through their tireless efforts, the three students' excellent performance at the China Summit led them to apply for a place at the Global Summit, and as Zhong Hiutung said, "It was a miracle that we made it to the final". Tsang Chun Hei, who plans to apply to universities in the United States, was pleasantly surprised by the results, which, if all goes well, will greatly help her application for further education. Let's wish this brave girl all the best!
"My intention was to learn more about life and health by participating in HOSA. However, I learned more than I thought， while preparing our programme, I learned that a lot of effort is needed behind a lesson, such as how to convey the lesson content accurately and in a variety of ways, how to make a lesson more lively and interesting, and how to pay attention to the audience's feelings during a lesson. In addition, I enjoy the process of our teammates working together and growing together through mutual encouragement. I am honoured that our work has been recognised and we will continue to explore more."
"By completing our BCE Health Education Programme display, our team has earned the honour of advancing to the national stage, which is a reward for our team's collective efforts. This success is inseparable from the careful guidance of each teacher and the cooperation of all our classmates. In preparing for the competition, I not only gained a lot of valuable experience and knowledge, but also added a highlight to my CV for future education."
"I took part in this competition because I want to study bio-health when I go to university, so I want to broaden my horizons. I have learned a lot through this programme, such as teamwork and how to properly deal with people's mental health. At the same time, while searching for information and completing the project, I unknowingly delved into the field of life health technology, which made me realise the amazing speed of development of bio-health science. I'm looking forward to the next Global Summit and can't wait to gain more diverse experiences.”
Mr. Rich LAI, Biology Teacher
"Congratulations to these students! I've witnessed their journey, which is not an easy one, and it is undoubtedly the best recognition of their talent and teamwork that they have been able to achieve these academic honours. As the first cohort of students to take part in such a Biology event for the school, they have set a benchmark for the younger students to follow. They have a love of Biology and concern for their fellow students in their hearts, the importance of life and health and planning the programme in their minds, and the courage to face challenges and fight for the honour of the school. I hope they will continue to work hard in the future and fly high for their dreams!”
Mr. Shijian YE, Visual Art Teacher
"I am not surprised that the students gained the academic honours, because as the teacher who guided them to design the projects, I could see their seriousness and hard work in dealing with difficulties. As their teacher, I am very proud of them, and I hope that they can face difficulties and challenges with such attitude in the future. I would also like to thank the school for providing me with a wide platform to support the students in such a great event, and the leaders and colleagues around me for their help and encouragement."
Ms. Tiffany YIN, Head of Science Panel
"Congratulations to these three students who achieved outstanding results at the HOSA China Summit. During this time of exploration, they not only learned a lot of knowledge about mental health through self-exploration, but also mastered the skills of scientific research, and fully practised their personal communication skills and ability to unite with the community, which was a successful attempt to explore the world of scientific research for them. Good luck at the Global Summit!”
