Students from Allen’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) competed in Galveston in the HOSA State competitions from April 14 – 16. At the end of the competition, five of the school’s health science students placed and three of them will be going to the national competition in June in Nashville, Tenn.

“There were several thousand students there,” said Mary Frashier, a Health Science teacher and HOSA advisor. “They represented Allen High School very well.”

Frashier remembers that she was delighted when the group heard the results.

“I think I screamed,” Frashier said. “It was very, very exciting… for our students to excel among those peers was just outstanding.”

Allen has advanced to the national round of HOSA competitions for the last 10 years, according to Frashier.

“I know that one year we had a first place winner in, I believe, it was Biomedical Science,” Frashier said. “And, I know two years ago, we placed in the top 10 for CPR First Aid.”

Frashier remains unsure but hopeful about future results in at nationals, and even though she knows the competition remains stiff, she is more happy about the journey the students took to get there.

“I’m just so proud of everyone that competed,” Frashier said. “I think [the competitions are] such a great opportunity for them to meet kids from other schools that have similar interests and are similarly driven in pursuing health careers.”