Photo provided by CCISD Students have been very motivated and worked hard fundraising for the January HOSA competition in Marquette, according to Amanda Hermansen, Copper Country Intermediate School District’s Career and Technical Education health careers teacher and certified nurse assistant.

HANCOCK — Approximately 80 students from the Copper Country Intermediate School District’s Career and Technical Education will compete in the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) U.P. regional competition in Marquette in January.

Students who qualify in the top three in the competition of their choice will qualify to advance to the State Competition downstate.

“HOSA really encourages and promotes professionalism and gets the students really interested in the health professions, which of course in our area, we need people that are interested in the state. So, that’s really the primary focus from them, and quality of care,” Amanda Hermanson, teacher for Health Careers and certified nurse assistant said.

Hermanson said in the past the state-wide competition has taken place in Grand Traverse, but this will probably be that last year it will be held there, do to capacity limitations. HOSA has outgrown the facility.

“I think 2,500 is what is holds and they’re over that limit now. They are at 2,700 members, so we are moving to Amway in Grand Rapids, which is farther south than Traverse City. so that’s going to mean it will probably bump up our expenses for our trip.”

Because HOSA is not funded, except through grants, its CCISD members rely on grants and  hold fundraisers. These include everything from chocolate and pasty sales to sales of T-shirts. The T-shirt sales “really doesn’t make us very much money, but they get our name out there more,” Hermanson said.

Hermanson said the CTE students are very motivated in working hard with the fundraising while preparing fo the HOSA competition. In addition to fundraising, local HOSA members also look for opportunities to give back to the community and complete many service projects within the local area.

“Last year we did a bridge leap project where we raised money for a family, a Calumet student, that has cancer,” Hermanson said.

In doing local projects, the students come to feel more like participant community members, Hermanson said.

“These are the ones who get interested in the health field, and if they’re involved, they’ll feel like they’re part of the U.P.,” she said. “I’m hoping that they’ll go to school, come back with their degrees, and that they’re going to practice their medicine.”