“I hope you never lose your sense of wonder / You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger […] And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance / I hope you dance” – Lee Ann Womack

A sixth-year HOSA-Future Health Professional from Raleigh, North Carolina, Nick reflects on what motivates him to lead through service: the people, principles and purpose fostered since the very start of his HOSA journey at Enloe High School. Recalling a proud beginning in servant leadership at North Carolina HOSA — or learning what it means to give back — Nick was grateful to receive a powerful token at the start of his term: the gameboard LIFE. Tattooed with signatures from state officer teams that predated his own for nearly a decade, LIFE presented with simple instructions to follow at the term’s end: “sign it, and pass it along” — words that define how he seeks to achieve his goals and the community he is ecstatic to represent.

With firm belief in the empowerment and spirit of legacy — inspired by former student leaders, advisors and champions of health innovation — Nick is honored to leave his mark promoting the student voice and passing along a platform by which future aspirers may dare to create. Majoring in Health Care Policy at Cornell University, Nick is driven by high-level reform; but more critically, finds purpose supporting local chapters with unique interests and united convictions that care for others remains a foremost priority.

Beyond HOSA, Nick enjoys supporting public health initiatives at Sinai Chicago Health System, is a firm believer in self-growth through new experiences, and can often be found on the basketball court or perfecting his breakfast cooking. He is personally motivated, as Lee Ann Womack’s lyrics in her hit single “I Hope You Dance” suggest, to always stay curious and have fun. On a dual mission to advance HOSA’s membership as tomorrow’s health professionals and today’s change-agents, this year, Nick is excited to meet new people and learn how best to serve them.