STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
The Missouri HOSA 2025 State Leadership Conference Qualifier included 2,304 participants from 104 local chapters! The onsite conference dates were scheduled from March 24-25, 2025, and included 1,202 participants from 93 local chapters onsite.
During this State Leadership Conference, a total of 66 competitive events took place on the middle school, high school/secondary, and postsecondary/collegiate levels. The top three medalists in each of the competitive events and all qualifiers in six recognition events now have an opportunity to attend the upcoming HOSA International Leadership Conference held on June 18-21, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.
This year’s theme, “Powered by People” guided the focus of the State Leadership Conference around professional opportunities through Educational Symposiums and the HOSA Zone Exhibition, which included a variety of presentations and vendors. Keynote speaker, Carey Portell shared shared her message of confidence over comfort through her inspirational story of overcoming disabilities sustained from a car accident involving a drunk driver.
Onsite, student members contributed to a Statewide Service Project by creating awareness ribbons to share with regional shelters and organizations in honor of April being Domestic and Sexual Abuse Awareness Month. As a result of their efforts, ribbons were donated to the Hope House in Kansas City, Russell House in Rolla, and ALIVE, Inc in St. Louis. Missouri HOSA’s first-ever Bingo Night was a great place to have fun and earn prizes, and student members had the opportunity to compete in one of fifteen National Geographic Learning Academic Testing Center exams to earn additional statewide recognition onsite. Missouri HOSA also featured a Healthcare Career Panel, for the first time, before the Awards Session for participants to learn more about careers in biotechnology, nursing, lab research, veterinary science, pharmacy, and respiratory therapy.
Student members also competed in an Anatomage Tournament onsite. Congratulations to the first place team: Ladue Anatomasters from Ladue Horton Watkins High School!
Among several recognitions, Angela Schmitt from Frontier Middle School was named Local Chapter Advisor of the Year, and Michelle Lawrence from Staley High School received the Educator Excellence Award.
Thanks to our twenty-seven (27) sponsors, Missouri HOSA is able to offer ten (10) $500.00 ILC Scholarships to fund their registration at the HOSA 2025 International Leadership Conference (ILC), totaling $5,000.00!
Those sponsors included:
SILVER: 3B Scientific/iSimulate, Central Methodist University, Chamberlain University, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, Depco Enterprises, LLC, Graceland University, Kansas State University College of Arts and Sciences, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Missouri Academy of Family Physicians, Missouri Department of Health Senior Services – Missouri State Public Health Laboratory, Missouri Society for Respiratory Care, National Healthcareer Association, Saint Louis University – Doisy College of Health Sciences, Southeast Missouri State University, State Fair Community College, UMKC School of Dentistry, UMKC Schools of Nursing and Health Studies & Medicine, UMKC School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri – College of Health Sciences, University of Missouri – St. Louis
GOLD: East Central College, MHA – MO Health Careers, Mid-America Transplant, Missouri Health Professions Consortium, Missouri Primary Care Association, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
PLATINUM: Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy
As the 2024-2025 State Officer Team said their farewell, the 2025-2026 State Officer Team was also elected at the State Leadership Conference. The Missouri HOSA 2025-2026 State Officer Team was announced at the Awards Session.
*Pictured below from left to right: Sanjay Adireddi from Ladue Horton Watkins High School, Vihaan Choudhary from Lindbergh High School, Claire Kilgore from Rolla Technical Center, Valeria Gonzalez from Frontier STEM High School, and Wyatt McDonald, from Rolla Technical Center.
