The HOSA International Leadership Conference was truly a magical experience. The trip would be many firsts for me. I am the first student from Chamberlain High School to experience ILC. It was my first time in Nashville, and hopping on the plane, I remembered that this was also my first plane experience that I actually had memory of. I was nervous and excited and everything in between. HOSA ILC took place in the beautiful Gaylord Opryland resort. This resort was absolutely nothing like I have seen before, and I'm sure many would say the same. Walking through the building to reach the conference area, I felt as if I was walking through a rainforest. I took many wrong turns, but my bad sense of direction only helped me see how pretty the building was. ILC officially starts with the opening ceremony. States were seated together with big bright signs. In the darkness of the massive space, students had light up sticks, hats, and pins. There was so much excitement in the room, you could feel it. I was disappointed at how quiet the South Dakota section was, but we have next year to overcome that. :) Soon, the ceremony began with a rousing call to action by the HOSA President Sricharan Pusala, followed by an introduction of the international executive council. The ceremony ended with an amazing speech by the tiktok-famous Dr. Mike (if you don't know who this is, I'm disappointed). I wanted to experience everything. I went crazy over pin trading, along with everyone else. I attended as many educational workshops as I could. I went to an officer training where I learned so much to bring back to my local chapter and met many new friends. I participated in the morning Zumba. I competed in the epidemiology test and took a National Geographic academic test. I spent as much time as I could at the HOSA expo, where I learned so much and got to donate blood for the first time in my life. My mind was blown over the hypnotist show, and I rode a cruise ship for HOSA day along with many other HOSA attendees. By the time I was seated for the award ceremony, I was exhausted but sad that the week was almost done. It was a magical week filled with many amazing moments that I wish I could share with every single SD HOSA member. If you get a chance to go next year in Dallas, I recommend you do it. You will love it, just like I did! HOS

During my time at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, I experienced one of the most uplifting and motivating environments I have ever been around. The sheer number of young people ready to dedicate themselves to healthcare was overwhelming and quite honestly reassuring. In a time when the world is experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers, I am comforted to know that some of the best and brightest students on the planet are engaged in a program such as HOSA. During my time at the ILC I not only met people from all over the United States but also from countries such as China and Korea. I had a good time learning about students from different places of the world. I especially enjoyed the competition aspect of the conference. I was able to compete in sports medicine and talking with competitors from other states was very interesting, especially to learn how they prepared for our event. Overall, my time at the ILC was a fantastic experience. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities HOSA has offered for me, and all the memories that I will cherish.

My time at international HOSA in Nashville, Tennessee was one to remember. From meeting new people from all over the world to touring the amazing city, I had a great experience that taught me many new skills. I went to a local officer workshop where I learned about teamwork and how to use everyone's strengths to our advantage as a chapter. Our leader taught us new games to play and I enjoyed putting my trust into new people I just met. The opening session was AMAZING! Every state represented themselves so well and my favorite part of the entire trip was when a lady got to meet her donor on stage. The emotion in the convention center was something I had never felt before. Overall, national HOSA was one of the best things I have ever experienced!!