Mar. 27—NEW BERLIN — Six students at SUN Area Technical School qualified to compete at national events in Texas or Nevada in June.
Twenty students involved in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Patient Care Technician programs competed in the Health Occupations Students of America’s (HOSA) State Leadership Conference at Wyndham Resort and Convention Center in Lancaster on March 13-15. Students from the New Berlin school were up against more than 1,600 students in career technical education courses from across Pennsylvania.
“This is the largest amount of students we ever took,” said patient care instructor Kaylee Moser. “It took a lot of preparation, a lot of studying, and a lot of practice, in addition to their normal academics.”
Haleigh Beachel, of Selinsgrove, placed first in personal care. Olivia Beck, of Mifflinburg, placed second in job-seeking skills. Reece Murray, of Mifflinburg, placed third in pathophysiology. Jaylah Ryerson, of Selinsgrove, placed fourth in physical therapy. Tyana Kessler, of Sunbury, placed fifth in health career photography. Beachel, Beck and Murray qualified to attend the international competition in Houston, Texas.
Team Neapolitan — consisting of Samantha Weaver, of Mifflinburg, Elliott Barben, of Selinsgrove, and Zander Trautman, of Selinsgrove — also competed in the Anatomage table category and qualified for the the national competition in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas competition will be held June 1. The Texas competition will be held from June 26 to 29.
Beachel, 18, had to demonstrate skills, including transferring patients, vital signs, bed-making and changing colonoscopy bags.
“I feel great, I feel honored,” said Beachel.
Beachel said she was drawn to the program because she likes helping other people, making them smile and being there for others.
I like getting along with the people and learning new things,” she said.
Beck had to submit a faux resume, cover letter and personal statement, and then sit for a faux interview. Murray had to submit a written exam on anatomy and physiology related to different disease process, conditions and how the body reacts to them. Ryerson also had a written exam and had to do hands-on skills. Kessler created a portfolio of local health career professionals.
Team Neapolitan had to study virtual human cadavers and know the body inside and out, and how it works. They had to know intricate details from the names of nerves to the names of bone structures.
SUN-Tech is a one-year school going against other students in schools with multiple years of training, said CNA instructor Robin Harvey.
“Our students did just as well if not better,” said Harvey. “We’re pretty proud.”
Class Acts is a weekly feature highlighting students, teachers, programs and projects at Valley schools. Email suggestions for stories to news@dailyitem.com.
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