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• 2020-2021 Affiliation Information
• 2020-2021 Membership Drive
• 2020-2021 Theme: Unlock Your Potential
• Missouri HOSA Brand Design Concept Contest
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• Missouri HOSA Virtual Fall Leadership Conference is coming soon!
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• Wonder Wednesday Webinar Series
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• CATCH My Breath Training Opportunities
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The Missouri HOSA 2020-2021 State Officer Team has been diligently planning their program of work for the school year ahead!  Through their team efforts, many valuable experiences will be offered in 2020-2021.  The State Officer Team members are excited and eager to work with new and current chapters as they begin and continue this HOSA journey!  If you are interested in a virtual Local Chapter Visit this fall, please reach out to Shelly Wehmeyer at 573-751-3407 or Shelly.Wehmeyer@dese.mo.gov.  In an effort to continue to connect, make sure to share information regarding Webinar Wednesdays with local chapter members!

Barivure Yorka, Missouri HOSA 2020-2021 State Vice President of Communications, has shared a recap of the Summer State Officer Training. 

Hello, Missouri HOSA! Your 2020-2021 Missouri HOSA State Officer Team had the opportunity to meet for the first time in Jefferson City, Missouri for State Officer Training. This was a three-day experience designed to guide the new State Officer team towards becoming stronger leaders equipped with the skills to lead Missouri HOSA. Before meeting, each State Officer was given a series of “pre-training” assignments, which included a list of goals that each individual hoped to achieve for the upcoming school year. During this time, each State Officer experienced a series of emotions as they began to physically and mentally prepare for the training ahead of them. Missouri HOSA State Officer Kristin Leija recalled, “My thoughts about State Officer training were between excited and nervous. I was excited to create a bond with my Officer team and to see how much I would grow in 3 days!”.  Fellow HOSA Officer Ben Ell also said, “I was anxious about going to training because I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard a few things from the prior year’s officers and came to realize that it was going to be a decent amount of public speaking so I was nervous about that.”

The first day of training included introductions of the retired State Officer Team, as well as the State HOSA Staff. This was also the time for each State Officer to meet one another. State Officer Burabari Yorka said, “I felt that I grew closer to my State Office team. We came as strangers and left as friends. We could talk, laugh and joke with each other and we knew each other better by the end of the training.” As State Trainer Mr. Byekwaso Gilbert told State Officers before the start of training, his job was to unlock everyone’s potential and “tighten the screws”- that is, push each State Officer out of his or her comfort zone and engage in activities that would most likely make everyone just a little bit uncomfortable- with good intentions, of course. The thought of having to present was a bit nerve-racking for some of the State Officers, including Alex Norrenberns: “Personally, I felt that the most difficult part of the training for me was putting myself in vulnerable situations in hopes of establishing better rapport with the other officers. It’s easy to put on a mask and act like someone you’re not to avoid the possibility of judgment.” When preparing to present the slideshows that had been requested of the State Officers to put together before meeting, each Officer was hit with a shock when told that they would have to remember the parts they knew by heart and “ad-lib” the rest to test their public speaking skills. “I am usually someone who has to have a script- it gives me a sense of security when I know what I plan on saying and what will happen next, so having to create and present an ad-lib speech was definitely the most difficult and uncomfortable part of public speaking”, said State Officer Barivure Yorka.

While State Officer Training was created to be a time for learning and constructive feedback, it was also a time for the State Officers to get to know each other not only as a team but as friends. State Officer Alex Norrenberns recounts one of his most memorable moments of training, saying, “My favorite part of the training was when we sat around the fire at Mrs. Wehmeyer’s house and told stories and laughed. At that point... I felt so much more comfortable with everyone and more able to have fun/relax. Hearing everyone talk that night made me realize...how lucky I am that they have my back.” State Officer Ben Ell found his appreciation not only with getting to know his fellow team members but also being surrounded by the retiring State Officer team. He stated, “My favorite part of the training was the dinner we had with the previous State Officer Team. They are some of the kindest and thoughtful people I have met and were so encouraging. That night was the first that I really felt like I represented Missouri HOSA.” At the conclusion of training, the Missouri HOSA State Officer team collaborated to put together a mission statement for the upcoming school year and theme for the 2020 Fall Leadership Conference. The State Officers were also reminded on that day of their primary role: to represent Missouri HOSA and represent what it means to serve, lead, innovate, and inspire. When asked to reflect on her biggest takeaway, Kristin Leija summed up the 2020 Missouri HOSA State Officer training experience best: “I would have to say the biggest lesson I learned from State Officer training was that growth is painful but nothing is worse than being stuck in the same place I didn’t belong. I became part of HOSA because I wanted to grow in every way I possibly could and motivate others to grow. It’s scary to take steps to be a better version of yourself and that’s what I love about it.”