HOSA Inspires New RT Students at 2026 Conference

To help grow the respiratory care profession and address RT shortages, the AARC has been collaborating with HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) over the past several years to promote the field to middle and high school students. AARC’s Premier partnership includes scholarships, workshops, webinars, and a booth at their International Leadership Conference (ILC), which took place June 16-19 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

AARC held an educational workshop, judged respiratory therapy competitive events featuring students from across the country, distributed five scholarships, and provided AARC swag and hands-on learning to approximately 14,000 attendees.

Congratulations to the following students who each received a $1,000 AARC HOSA scholarship:

• Linnae Ellis, West Aurora High School, IL
  Career: Pediatric ER Respiratory Therapy
• Cameron Howard, Evansville North High School, IN
  Career: Respiratory Therapy
• Maximos Mendez, Grand Island Senior High School, NE
  Career: Air Force Pulmonologist
• Yoselyn Villasana, Columbia High School, TX
  Career: Respiratory Therapy
• Chloe Yeldell, Madison County CTC Career, AL,
  Career: Respiratory Therapy

Additionally, we’d like to thank all the state affiliates that sent members to HOSA state meetings throughout the past year to discuss careers in respiratory therapy. Your passion and engagement make a difference to the students who were excited to stop by our booth and/or compete in the HOSA RT events!

Congratulations also to the HOSA Respiratory Therapy Competitive Event winners:

1. Ellie Johnson – KS
2. Charlotte Dye – GA
3. Jiya Gupta – WA
4. McKenna Howard – MI
5. Devyn Ashby – VA
6. Claudia Piotrowski – IN
7. Vincia Li – IN
8. Fadumo Omar – MN
9. Katherine Sidden – FL
10. Weber Fatigante – VA

Special Thanks

The success of AARC’s involvement at HOSA ILC would not be possible without the support of our volunteers! Special thanks to:

• Teri Miller, MEd, RRT, CPFT, FAARC, Co-Chair of the Workforce Recovery Task Force, and Alysia Osorio, BSRC, RRT–NPS, Director of Clinical Education at Collin College in McKinney, Texas, for their ongoing support of HOSA efforts and volunteering throughout the event, including workshops and planning.
• Indiana State Society volunteers Keenya Alvis, RRT, CPFT; Cheri Bate, RRT; Charity Bowling, CRT, RRT; Kayla Henry, RRT-NPS; Eric Sageser, RRT-NPS, CPFT; and Beth Summitt, RRT-NPS for providing and demonstrating an intubation manikin and a high-frequency chest wall oscillation vest. These hands-on experiences showcased the impact of respiratory therapy to all of the students who stopped by the booth.

Get Involved with HOSA Locally

State AARC affiliates are encouraged to keep the HOSA momentum going and engage and encourage competitions and respiratory therapy in your local community. Don’t know where to start? AARC is here to help! We’ve created a Be an RT kit that state societies can borrow or purchase for an upcoming HOSA or community college event. Learn more