05 - Called to Care

In this episode of Rooted & Rising, Andrew McDonald is joined by Krista Cunningham and students Katie Kotecki and Olivia Guenthner to talk about HOSA - Future Health Professionals, and their recent competition experience.

The conversation explores how HOSA gives students the opportunity to apply classroom learning in real‑world contexts, build professional skills, and explore potential callings in healthcare. Katie and Olivia share what preparation and competition were like, what surprised them along the way, and how the experience helped them grow in confidence, focus, and teamwork.

Krista reflects on the role HOSA plays in forming students not only academically, but personally, helping them connect knowledge, service, and leadership in meaningful ways.

Together, the episode highlights how opportunities like HOSA prepare students to serve others with competence, compassion, and purpose: now and in the future.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:04

Welcome to Rooted in Rising, a short podcast where we highlight the people, programs, and moments that make Billings Catholic schools special. Each episode, we'll spend just a few minutes sharing one story from across our system. Something worth noticing, worth celebrating, and worth building on. I'm Andrew McDonald, and I'm glad you're here. Thank you guys so much for being here today. Um really excited we've got a packed uh packed room and uh pretty grateful to have some some super awesome students here today and a great teacher, sponsor of a club. So I'm gonna turn it over to you guys to introduce yourselves. I'm gonna start with students, so please let everybody know who you are.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Hi, I'm Katie Kotecki. I'm a freshman here at Central.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

I'm Olivia Gensner, I'm a senior. And I'm Krista Cunningham. I am the advisor for HOSA, science teacher, and just love being here.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

And HOSA is like one of our biggest clubs, like I think the biggest chapter in the state, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

It's rivaling the career centers, which is all of District 2 combined. So we're up to 102 members this year.

SPEAKER_03 1:09

Which is incredible considering you know District 2 is uh well larger than us. So for those people that maybe don't know, what what is HOSA? Can you give me an understanding? What is HOSA?

SPEAKER_02 1:22

So HOSA's kind of like opportunity for students to get to explore healthcare better. They it's it offers a lot of like hands-on experiences and community service and opportunities to just explore the healthcare field and see if that's something you want to do.

SPEAKER_03 1:39

And as a senior, how long have you been a part of HOSA?

SPEAKER_02 1:41

I've been a part of HOSA all four years. So yeah, since freshman year.

SPEAKER_03 1:45

And then for you coming in as a freshman, why HOSA? What drew you to HOSA?

SPEAKER_01 1:50

As a kid, I've always wanted to go into healthcare. And HOSA kind of just like helped shape your mind of knowing what you want to do. And it allows you to do things that you would do as an adult. So it kind of lets you see the real life experience of healthcare.

SPEAKER_03 2:07

Yeah, and what an awesome opportunity for for kids to have, especially as you're kind of thinking about those next steps, what what comes after this? And so then, Krista, why why did you decide to start HOSA? What like brought this to you or what what made you lean in?

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Yeah, great question. In my first year being here, I kind of surveyed students just to get to know, you know, the students better and the school better. And there was really a drive to want to do healthcare. And that was something I noticed and kind of a hole that we had. So I brought it to administration to say, you know, could I start a new class? And that's how I started our human anatomy and physiology class. And then I thought, you know, I really want to incorporate healthcare as a career into this. And how do I incorporate those pathways? And that's how I stumbled upon HOSA as a club. Just from a technical side, it's actually a CTSO, which is a career and technical student organization. It's one of seven in Montana. I'm one of the biggest ones too. It kind of rivals FFA, if you, you know, know FFA. But I kind of got wind of this club and dug into that and realized that the state advisor was here in Billings. So over the summer, had coffee with her and just got so fired up about the idea. And it was that summer that I brought students to Yellowstone. And so it was in the back of a van, I was talking to a bunch of kids and said, Hey, I have this idea. What do you think? And they all loved it. And so they all helped me launch it that year. It was 2022. And so we launched this club and we needed six students to make it an official club. And we ended up with 60 that year, which was amazing. And it's grown ever since up to what we are now.

SPEAKER_03 3:42

Yeah, that's a that's a great story. So were you here for the first year? So all four years.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

I believe so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

All four years, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:50

Yeah, that's incredible. So we just had a recent competition, right? HOSA has one competition over the course of the year.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Yeah, yeah. It's our state leadership conference. We call it SLC.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

And and you guys entered in this competition, you guys competed there. So so what does that look like? Like w what does that competition entail?

SPEAKER_02 4:07

So it takes a lot of like preparation for sure. So we have these things called hard skills and soft skills. So soft skills soft skills are things like PSAs or going and teaching something in a classroom or houseable, and then we have hard skills, which are like physical skills. So Katie and I did nursing assisting. So those are like you learn how to make a bed or you learn how to put on protective equipment. And so we go and we perform those skills for a judge after prep preparing for a whole year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

So you like you walk into a room with all these things that a nurse would be expected to do, and then you've got judges all around? Like what's that experience like?

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Yeah, so it's very intimidating to just nervous, and a lot of it's preparation, as Olivia said. And honestly, you just have to perform your best and believe in yourself, and that's all it is. But you know what you're doing is making an impact in life. So it really does apply to your future and yourself right there.

SPEAKER_03 5:11

Yeah, that's that's fantastic. And so you guys went as part of our whole team, right? Do you know some of the other folks? Like what else did other people compete in?

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Oh, there were so many events. There's actually 70 different events they can choose from. So it's kind of like herding cats over the course of the year, just trying to keep track of 70 different events and what's going on. But we had everything from veterinary science, like Olivia said, we had PSA. So that's where students make their own video, like a 30-second video on a health topic. Help me out, guys. We had so many forensic science was out there that we did. Oh, medical innovation. Yeah, we had a first place win in medical innovation. They actually had to design some sort of medical invention that would help in the medical world. And yeah, it's just so diverse, so much going on. So it's really fun.

SPEAKER_03 5:58

Yeah, that that sounds incredible. It also sounds kind of overwhelming as a as a sponsor, right? 70, 70 different skills, and you've got a hundred members in HOSA right now, and and you're kind of having to herd those cats, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:12

Exactly. Yeah. So out of the 102 in HOSA, 55 decided to attempt an event at state. And I think that is a testament to them because they are working outside of class on their own time to learn something that they don't have to learn. They're not getting a grade for this, they're just doing it for their own betterment. And I think that is incredible that we have students willing to do that.

SPEAKER_03 6:33

Yeah, what does that time commitment outside of class look like? Like as you guys are preparing for this competition, like what all are you putting in?

SPEAKER_01 6:39

It's very time consuming. You always have to plan ahead, but I always say it's worth it for everything, and especially the help from Miss Cunningham, too. I don't think it would be possible, but it's definitely worth it. But you do really have to focus in, and it's yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:01

Yeah, I would say it yeah, it takes a lot of time. You have to memorize your rubrics and you have to prepare for the test and film your videos and everything.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

And so I would say it takes yeah, a few hours a week to get completely prepared for simply to qualify, they have to submit videos and those go through a process of review, and then they have to do online testing, and that gets added to their score just to qualify to go to state.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

So it's pretty amazing what these students can do.

SPEAKER_03 7:30

Yeah, what an incredible amount of work.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

It is, but it's it's completely worth it. And I think it really fits really well to the mission of our school as well. So I think part of what we're called to do here is to really be servants of God, to be the hands and feet of God and to see these kids go into healthcare. I can't think of a better profession where they are giving back, especially to people when they're at their most vulnerable. And so for these kids to have that kind of heart, that kind of compassion to want to go into healthcare, I think is is an incredible calling.

SPEAKER_03 8:01

Yeah, I I think that brings up an interesting question in my head, just about yes, our mission and the mission of our our school, but but the idea of a club like this and a Catholic school, like how does this fit in the overall context of a of a Catholic school?

SPEAKER_01 8:16

So Central is huge about preparing for your future. And HOSA definitely helped shape that. I personally went on to become a nurse, so that's why I attempted nursing assistance because it physically helps you get to where you want to be in the future without having to go through many struggles in life or face the difficulties, and that's definitely also to where you have God to help guide you, and He also knows your path for you, and so having this was kind of like an opening for what you want to do.

SPEAKER_03 8:50

For sure. So almost like because you were here and because you've got that the the faith aspect, and then you have opportunities like this, you you feel like all of those things kind of come together.

SPEAKER_02 9:01

Yes, definitely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:02

What about for you, Olivia?

SPEAKER_02 9:03

Yeah, I agree with Katie. So I think that, yeah, like she said, the Catholic schools are very important or very they put a very strong I don't know. Emphasis emphasis, yeah, on preparing yourself for your future. And I think HOSA really helps you with that. They so many community service opportunities that help you like get closer to the community and become a better person. And I think that really plays into the theme of the Catholic schools.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Yeah, for sure. What what do you think that you guys have learned about yourself through participation in this this club?

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Definitely that is not an easy route to take, but you have to just believe in yourself, and if you fail, there's always next year, or there's always next time, and you learn from your mistakes too. So, what can I study better? What could I have done better on this?

SPEAKER_02 9:56

Yeah, I agree. Also, I think it really helps you put like zoom into what you actually want to do. So you have so many opportunities to explore different things that you could do in the healthcare field, and you can compete in different events and everything. So last year I did pharmacy science and I've decided I don't want to do pharmacy anymore through that. And so it it's really nice to learn more about what I would personally want to do in the future.

SPEAKER_03 10:21

Yeah, what turned you away from pharmacy?

SPEAKER_02 10:23

It's just a it's just a lot of stuff, like a lot of very technical stuff.

SPEAKER_03 10:28

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

You know, that's what I always tell students too who are interested in in HOSA. I say, join us. You know, you might learn that you love it, you might learn that you hate healthcare. And guess what? That's still incredibly valuable information to learn like what your path is before you get into college and start down a road that maybe is not the best fit for you. So, and like Olivia was saying, too, even within healthcare, there are so many different pathways you can take. Um, I think HOSA kind of helps narrow that down a little bit. And you can kind of figure out what the best path might be for you. But we're really fortunate here in Billings to have so many community and industry partners that are willing to take students in for job shadowing. Immersion day, we do that at Billings Clinic. Riverstone is coming today for a lunch and learn. So we have a lot going on and a lot of partnerships, and we are really blessed to have that here in Billings.

SPEAKER_03 11:14

Yeah, I know this is this is definitely a healthcare hub, right? And this is something that we've we've talked about, really almost trying to figure out how we can double down on that, on some of those partnerships and and how can we work with some of the healthcare providers to ensure that that we do have the next generation of nurses, doctors, even pharmacists, right, as as they graduate here and and move on to college. So what a what a great opportunity that that I think you've been able to bring to the the students. How has participation in HOSA over four years for you kind of shaped your high school experience?

SPEAKER_02 11:47

I think it really, it really, I don't know, it gave me something to really focus on. So it gave me something that uh not everybody was doing that I could really put my mind to. So getting to participate for four years is really nice. And have like almost like a little family inside of Central that we can all we're all interested in the same thing, we're all focused on the same thing, and we're all learning together.

SPEAKER_03 12:12

Yeah, that's been a kind of a recurring theme in conversations that I've had with folks is this idea of little families within the larger community. I know I talked a lot with Mr. Martinez about how band has kind of created that. Mr. Fairbanks has talked about like how that is formed with film. And then even with Mr. Melder and and Miss Wideman, when we were talking about reading, right, they were talking about how as soon as kids unlock this idea of how to read, they they gravitate towards other kids that are reading the same things and the same books. So so this idea of kind of small communities within the larger community, how has that impacted you as a freshman with your your first year at Central?

SPEAKER_01 12:50

So HOSA has definitely been a huge part of my freshman year. Just from starting in September, I always knew I wanted to go far in this club and make it a huge impact. And it's super nice because it allows us to go out in the community and things I would not be doing in middle school or you wouldn't see the Career Center maybe doing, and just doing hands-on things has been very helpful and definitely will help me go through the next like three years of high school.

SPEAKER_03 13:25

Yeah, that's fantastic. And then what do we need to know about HOSA? Like parting thoughts, what are the the big things that the people that listen to this should walk away with?

SPEAKER_00 13:33

Wow, yeah. I think we do so much within HOSA. It's not just healthcare. We also work on leadership skills. And I take a core group of kids to our fall leadership conference in Butte every year, and it's really about how to be a leader within this club. So we always bring our officers, but we always bring what my officers have called the intern. And we always invite an underclassman to come with us and and just kind of start shaping those leadership skills. And that's kind of what I try to do as an advisor is you know, stand back a little bit and try to push these leaders forward. It's hard when we have a club of 102, but they do a great job. They've stepped up. Anytime I need anything done, I just call on them and they they jump at it. And I love that about my officers. So we do a lot of leadership, we do a lot of community service. So I know they have hours to fulfill and within HOSA, we usually can knock those out for them. And it's we do it and it's so much fun. Like we do chalk the walk every year, and that's a fan favorite. You know, it's really fun to connect with the community. Um, we do a lot of skills training. So whether it's lunch and learns or our immersion day, but we have a lot of different focuses within a lot of different career fields, so we're really diverse, and I think there's a place for any student who wants to join us.

SPEAKER_03 14:44

Yeah. What about for you guys as students? What would what would you say to your fellow students? Why participate in HOSA?

SPEAKER_01 14:50

I would say HOSA is a huge preparation for what they've said before of what you want to know. And it also just lets you learn new things. Even if you don't compete or you just sit in the classroom during lunch, you learn just a lot of things from observation or peers from I can I perform this, that seems super cool. Maybe I want to try that. Or it also just helps, you know, with people skills. You go out into the world and you meet people you don't know, and Central is huge with having like open like hands and being so generous to everyone, and that's also what HOSA is, where we accept everyone and it's a family community.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

Yeah, I would agree. I think that any student who's thinking about joining HOSA should just do it, even if you end up not enjoying healthcare. I say HOSA is definitely worth it. You have your community service, you have so many opportunities that you wouldn't get in any other club through HOSA.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yeah, and I think it looks amazing too on college applications and resumes. And I write a lot of letters of recommendation and I love doing it because there are some kids that have absolutely deserved to go above and beyond. And you know, I can't wait to see what they do with their futures. And I have honestly, it's such a privilege for me as an advisor to help them and watch their journey, and then I'm so excited to see where they go in in their future and know that maybe I was a small part of it. But yeah, the two sitting here have some amazing features, and and all of them, all of them, all 102 in my group do. So it's honestly been a privilege.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

Well, what a what an awesome opportunity to to talk to you all. Katie, Olivia, Ms. Cunningham. Thank you so much for taking the time to to come and hang out and share. And now you got another skill to check off the checklist, right? Like we get to talk on podcasts. Podcast skills. So thank you guys very much.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

Thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_03 16:54

Thanks for listening to Rooted in Rising. We'll be back next week with another story worth celebrating.