We hear often about the magnitude of this organization — with over 260,000 members and 54 chartered associations across the globe. We share in the excitement of this expansive, international reach, but also of the unique ability of this organization to create a community and a family, even for one member out of 260,000. Nowhere did this quality of HOSA-FHP become more apparent than in Washington D.C., during our 17th Annual Washington Leadership Academy.

With long days and short nights, powered by caffeinated drinks and the great assortment of dinner treats, WLA time started before sunrise and ended well after sunset. It would follow if time felt longer, simply by the hours spent awake, but it felt like WLA started and ended in an instant. I remember landing back home, finding it hard to believe the week flew by so quickly.

Walking into the first leadership session of the week, well into the evening hours, we were met with incredible energy and excitement from the officers — an energy that continued to return session after session. It became natural to mirror the excitement we saw from the officers day after day — their response to activities, their eagerness to engage with every question — it inspired us as an IEC, and created an environment that uplifted each individual present. With the incredible support and facilitation by Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches Jennifer McNelly and Jeff Koeninger, attendees were immersed in the CliftonStrengths curriculum, learning to build strengths-based teams. Over the course of three days, members honed their networking abilities, collaborated in teams, and engaged with peers and fellow leaders from across the country and across the globe – capitalizing on their strengths to understand their talents, developing those talents into skills, and learning to utilize those skills as a student, leader and team member.

On Sunday night, the historical significance of Washington D.C. was the foreground of the beloved “Twilight Tour”, as members and advisors alike filed onto buses. Framed by the setting sun, we would visit beautiful monuments and memorials, including the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam/Korean War Memorials, the FDR Memorial, and the MLK Memorial. Accompanied by a member of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides, we learned about the history of the nation’s capital city while also witnessing its beauty.

The Monday morning after, attendees had the opportunity to hear from esteemed health professionals during a “Health Professions Panel”, including:

• Margot Savoy, AAFP — Senior Vice President for Education at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
• LCDR Schuyler Price — Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) & Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Diana L. Dabdub, Certified Association Executive (CAE) — Director for Admissions & Recruitment Affairs at the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)
• Sarah Amesbury and Dr. Stacey Schwartz — American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

Representing several health industries, the panel spoke from ranging areas of expertise and experience, yet centered around the common goal of healthcare. Demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of health, the panelists emphasized the need for collaboration among health professions, highlighting the importance of WLA — a space where students of various health interests come together.

On Tuesday morning, HOSA leaders visited Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of HOSA-Future Health Professionals, promoting health science education and career and technical education to Senate and Congressional representatives. A special thanks to Jerrica Mathis, Cardinal Health’s Vice President, Government Relations, and Angie Comte, Manager of Government Relations at Cardinal Health, who offered advice to attendees on how to advocate for HOSA and Health Science Education on Capitol Hill.

Throughout Washington Leadership Academy, HOSA members additionally had the opportunity to gain insights from various keynote speakers, including:

• Bryant Collier, CEO of B. Collier Speaks, is a renowned speaker who hopes to inspire and challenge listeners to conquer the world. A Georgia native, Bryant travels the country empowering and encouraging leaders to never give up on their journey to success. Dedicating himself to walking alongside others in the journey of life, he is convinced that with inspiration, affirmation, & mentorship, anyone can become a leader of tomorrow.
• HOSA was also pleased to welcome Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education with the United States Department of Education – Luke Rhine. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Luke served as the Associate Secretary of Workforce Support for the Delaware Department of Education, overseeing the offices of career & technical education, higher education, educator excellence, and licensure & certification. Previously, Luke has worked at the Maryland State Department of Education and as a high school CTE teacher and middle school teacher.

Held in the heart of our nation, both local and state leaders gained the knowledge and confidence needed to be an influential leader prepared to enter the health professions. However, beyond refining their skill sets, WLA created a space for connection, joy, and memories made, as attendees spent their lunches and workshop breaks meeting fellow officers from all over.

As a team, we as the International Executive Council looked to uplift and inspire each member we spoke to, but quickly found they uplifted and inspired us equally so. Whether in the hallways, elevator lulls, or museum gift shops, our conversations with members are some we hope to hold close throughout the rest of our time serving this organization. We opened the first leadership session of WLA with a compact — a commitment to our members — that centered around serving with “one voice”, asking members to share their thoughts, feedback, opinions and ideas both during and after WLA.

Late into the night, we pored over index cards from local and state leaders, learning from the member voices behind notes scrawled in colorful ink. Inspired by the outpour of feedback, we left the last leadership session with a charge to attendees — asking them to continue opening these lines of communication and hold us accountable to our commitment. It is our hope that WLA built a foundation for one of most important goals as a team: making the IEC more accessible, forming genuine connections with officers, and conveying the message that we serve with our membership, as HOSA members first.

With the close of the 17th Annual Washington Leadership Academy, we look to carry forward pieces of what we believe made this year’s conference so special — each and every conversation with officers, sitting with members at meals, the dancing, the laughter, and the feeling that — somehow, we weren’t at WLA as an IEC and attendees — but as one greater community.