Ronan takes top honors at health science competition
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RONAN – A Ronan teacher and her students brought home serious hardware from the state Health Occupation Students of America – Future Health Professionals competition held March 20-22.
The competition pits students against each other in a number of contests that test health science knowledge of CPR, first aid, and emergency medical technician skills.
“It’s all about developing leadership skills in the health profession,” coach Chris Briske said. “It’s really a great opportunity for students.”
The team of Cassie Hawkins, Hannah Bird Rattler, Samantha Ashley, and Alejandro Segura took home first place for a Jeopardy-style quiz game that pitted them against class A, class B, and class C schools from around the state.
Colton Roullier additionally took the bronze in Healthy Lifestyles competition.
Briske said she founded the school’s HOSA chapter five years ago because she thought it would be a good opportunity for her students to learn marketable skills.
“Health careers usually come with a high salary and have high employability,” Briske said. “Even if they don’t do the health profession later, they learn a lot.”
Principal Kevin Kenelty recalled Briske’s determination to get the chapter going during 2010 was outstanding. Briske was armed with only a handbook and a belief that the chapter would succeed.
“She is a go-getter with a heart for learning,” Kenelty wrote in a letter to the HOSA organization. “She knew that this hard work would pay off for the students of Ronan. What RHS witnessed from that time was Chris’s self-fulfilling prophecy. She worked and trained as if the club was going to be successful and the students would buy into this club.”
Briske’s work prevailed. Every year, between 10 and 15 students participate in the extracurricular activity. Briske has also spearheaded efforts to create a partnership between the school and the hospital to help students become Certified Nursing Assistants.
At the awards ceremony in Bozeman, Briske was awarded the Sponsor of the Year award.
“I was pretty amazed and surprised,” Briske said.
Briske’s students who took top honors in the Montana competition will have the opportunity to compete in the HOSA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California in June.
Martha Robertson, Montana HOSA director, said that Mission Valley schools taking top honors was quite the accomplishment.
“It’s a pretty big deal for a small chapter when you go up against schools like Bozeman that have 60 members,” Robertson said.
Charlo Schools also brought home a medal. Kathleen Cox took third place in Human Growth and Development.
