A team of four Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Health Science Careers juniors recently won second place in the Mental Health Promotion competition at the New York State HOSA Spring Leadership Conference 2025 in Syracuse and has been invited to the International Leadership Conference in June in Nashville, Tenn.
The members of the Herkimer BOCES silver medal team were Little Falls student Iris Wick and Central Valley students Reegan Mowers, Madeline Green and Jasmin Taylor.
“The competition is very tough at these conferences, and it is very eye-opening to the students when they arrive and start to compete,” Herkimer BOCES Health Science Careers instructor Christe Zambri said, noting that many students from other schools have a head start because they have been participating in HOSA conferences since ninth grade due to attending career and technical education high schools. “This is the first competition for these junior students, so the fact that they were able to take home a medal says a lot about them. They accomplished this all on their own, and I couldn't be more proud of them.”
Zambri and co-teacher Chester Winters brought 12 students with them to the New York State HOSA Spring Leadership Conference 2025, which took place from April 2-4 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Syracuse. The other students who attended were Central Valley students Josephine Aney, Kadence Lamica and Hannah Rando; Little Falls students Elianna Rivera, Gabrielle Slater, Kaylee Callahan and Sophia Sausa; and West Canada Valley student Cheyenne Mayo.
During the conference, students participated in competitions and learned about leadership for health professionals. When the students returned to the Herkimer BOCES William
The Herkimer BOCES Health Science Careers program also had success at the New York State HOSA Fall Leadership Conference 2024 in November at Desmond Hotel Albany. There, Sausa won the New York State Achievement Award.
HOSA, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, describes itself as “a global student-led organization, whose mission is to promote career opportunities in the health industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people.”
During and following the Spring Leadership Conference, students and their parents were very thankful for the experience, Zambri said, and one student commented to her about not realizing how privileged BOCES students are for the support they receive until the student spoke to students from other schools.
“It makes me happy to know that the students appreciate their school and all of us that work here for making this opportunity possible,” Zambri said. “I can't say enough how much this has meant to them and their families. It made all the planning and hard work worth it.”
A team of Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Health Science Careers juniors won second place in the Mental Health Promotion competition at the New York State HOSA Spring Leadership Conference 2025 in Syracuse and has been invited to the International Leadership Conference in June in Nashville, Tenn. The team members are pictured here with Health Science Careers instructor Christe Zambri. From left: Central Valley student Madeline Green, Central Valley student Reegan Mowers, Zambri, Little Falls student Iris Wick and Central Valley student Jasmin Taylor.
Members of the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Health Science Careers team who won second place in the Mental Health Promotion competition at the New York State HOSA Spring Leadership Conference 2025 in Syracuse pose with their silver medals. From left: Central Valley students Jasmin Taylor, Madeline Green and Reegan Mowers and Little Falls student Iris Wick.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Health Science Careers student Sophia Sausa, from Little Falls City School District, poses with her certificate after she won the New York State Achievement Award at the HOSA Fall Leadership Conference 2024 in November at Desmond Hotel Albany.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Health Science Careers students and staff pose together in the Herkimer BOCES William E. Busacker Complex after returning from the New York State HOSA Spring Leadership Conference 2025 in Syracuse.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Health Science Careers students and staff receive a warm welcome from other Herkimer BOCES students and staff as they return to the Herkimer BOCES William E. Busacker Complex from the New York State HOSA Spring Leadership Conference 2025 in Syracuse.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Health Science Careers students and staff receive a warm welcome from other Herkimer BOCES students and staff as they return to the Herkimer BOCES William E. Busacker Complex from the New York State HOSA Spring Leadership Conference 2025 in Syracuse.