Local schools host conference for future health professionals

East Vancouver — Evergreen High School and Clark County Skills Center played host to more than 600 students from around the state on March 21 for the third annual Washington State HOSA Leadership Conference and Competition. HOSA is a student-led national organization for future health professionals. This was the first time the conference was in Clark County, and the roughly 600 students who attended were three times last year’s total of about 200. The students learned about various fields in the healthcare industry, as well as competed in competitions testing their knowledge on such topics as dental and medical terminology, CPR and creative problem solving. The event was organized by medical science teachers Terri Karkau of Mountain View High School, Jeremiah Jessey of Evergreen High School, Andrew Goss of Heritage High School and Jennifer Cullison of Woodland High School. The organization’s student council also organized the conference, including Woodland High School’s Virn Warndahl, who is president of the 2014-2015 council, and Heritage High School’s Kayla Buehner, president-elect of the group. Warndahl also finished first in the medical photography competition, and will recognized at the national level with the Barbara James Service Award for his volunteer work in the medical field.