On August 22, 2025, the Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA club) held their first official meeting at Riverside Brookfield High School. Five students came together to form this club, which gives students the opportunity to access real-world medical opportunities.
HOSA has three main pillars: service, competition, and professional development. This club provides students interested in the medical field with real-world experience and insight to help them better prepare for their future careers. Senior Maria Ellis, one of the five founding members, is the vice president of HOSA and is involved in the professional development aspect of the club.
“The idea came from another one of our classmates, Sofia Miller,” Ellis said. “We sat next to each other in AP Chemistry last year. We were all like, ‘We should do it together because we share a big passion for the medical field,’ and we wanted to share it with other people.”
The five senior students—Tommy Bogdan, Sofia Miller, Maria Ellis, Lucy Boyle, and Isaac Lee—went to Michele Koehler, RB science department head and science teacher, to sponsor their club idea. They created a slideshow presentation of the main points of HOSA, and while Koehler was skeptical at first, she eventually came around to the idea.
“I took time to really look at what Maria and Sofia and the other students put together for me, and it was great, and I couldn’t say no,” Koehler said. “After the meetings that we’ve had so far, I am truly excited to see where this is going to go.”
With over 60 students attending their first meeting in August, they have had to start using the study hall room to accommodate everyone. HOSA hopes to become certified on the state and national level to compete at competitions. Students interested will receive study guide packets to help them prepare. In addition to competitions, students have the opportunity to get access to internships at local hospitals. Each of the founders participated in a summer internship involving research. Ellis was an intern at a breast cancer research lab at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL. While Ellis interned at Loyola, she had a difficult time finding internships for prospective medical field students like her.
“We realize that it’s really difficult for people to find [internship opportunities], so we want HOSA to make it easier for other people,” Ellis said.
Each co-founder plays an essential role in HOSA, ensuring that the club can continue functioning and existing for future students as these seniors hoped. Within the three pillars, each student has a different responsibility. Miller and Bogdan both are in charge of the competition aspect. Ellis and Lee are in charge of the professional development aspect of HOSA since they both were involved in summer internships. Lastly, Boyle is the treasurer and is in charge of HOSA’s service and fundraiser pillar. Bogdan, the social media manager, hopes that HOSA will continue to thrive and leave a lasting impact on the RB community after the five founding seniors graduate in the spring.
“Our ultimate goal is to kind of create a good foundation for the club since it’s in its first year,” Bogdan said. “Hopefully [we will] give a good foundation to continue in the future and give back to the community here.”
