Iola High School senior Hannah Andersen spent a lot of time in hospitals as a child.
She had multiple health issues, including a tumor on her spine and knee problems that required a bone graft.
Those experiences led her to appreciate the dedication of health professionals — and she decided she wanted to become one herself.
She’s spent much of her high school career immersing herself in as many health-related opportunities as possible. She took a lot of science classes, and anatomy and physiology when it was added to the curriculum. She enrolled in a summer class on medical terminology through Allen Community College last year. She participates in an internship program at Allen County Regional Hospital.
She also applied to become an officer with the Kansas HOSA — Future Health Professionals, an organization of high school students from across the state who are interested in pursuing a career in health care.
She was named vice president, becoming the first IHS student to serve as an officer of the state organization.
“Being an officer has prepared me for a future in health care,” she said.
HOSA is a national student-led organization for leadership development for students interested in medical and bioscience careers.
In Kansas, HOSA has nearly 900 members across 29 chapters.
At IHS, Lisa Wicoff serves as chapter adviser.
Andersen joined the group as a freshman and has served as chapter president.
“It’s important to encourage people to pursue careers in health careers, especially right now,” she said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic that highlighted the need for nurses, doctors and other health professionals.
AS PART of the HOSA officer team, Andersen helped the state group host its fall and spring leadership conferences.
Both were online events because of the pandemic, so the officers were responsible for organizing the events and recording videos. The state conference includes competitive events; Andersen made a video explaining the expectations for one of the categories.
The seven-member officer team was able to meet in person at a state officer retreat, which Andersen said was a good opportunity.
“It’s a good way of networking. I’m meeting people from across the state who are also planning to work in the healthcare industry.”
