IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  

Bonnie Reidy, Chief Communications Officer
704-866-6118
704-867-1711, Evenings and Weekends
e-mail: breidy@gaston.k12.nc.us

Gastonia, N.C. - The Highland School of Technology Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) club took home top honors at the 35th HOSA national leadership conference held in Orlando, Florida, June 22-24.  The school’s Health Occupation club was named Outstanding National HOSA Chapter. 

Individual national honors went to Jessica Turcotte, who won third place in the medical photography category.  Kendall Medford and Austin Graves received national top ten honors in the dental science and dental spelling categories respectively. Medford also earned an Award of Distinction for her work with the Highland HOSA newsletter. 

The Highland health occupations club was recognized for its hard work in promoting HOSA Week.   Members of the club also received an Award of Merit for their community service efforts with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. 

Principal, Lee Dedmon, said, “Being named the Outstanding National HOSA Chapter is a very prestigious honor.  I am extremely proud of these students and their teachers for the exceptional way they represented our school and the school system.  We commend our HOSA students for their hard work, and we congratulate them on this honor.”

Sixteen Highland HOSA club students and two advisors attended the HOSA national leadership conference.  More than 7,100 members from 46 states plus Puerto Rico competed in 56 healthcare related events at the conference.