Contributed WASHINGTON TRIP — Ten members of the HOSA-Future Health Professionals chapter at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School headed to the nation’s capital for the Washington Leadership Academy. Participating were, from left, front, Kaylee Sandy, Riley Heldreth and Kimber Rogers; and back, Dana Haynes, Chelsea Channels, Madison Higginbotham, Carmine DiEugenio, Emma Lamp, Gage Hennis and Olivia Brousseau.

BLOOMINGDALE — Students in the health technologies program at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School traveled to Washington, D.C., and received a lesson in leadership.

Ten juniors and seniors attended the HOSA-Future Health Professionals Washington Leadership Academy Sept. 19-23, where they joined about 500 HOSA members from across the U.S. and participated in training sessions, plus they viewed some of the sights in the nation’s capital. Among the seniors who attended were Kimber Rogers, Olivia Brousseau, Kailee Sandy, Dana Haynes, Chelsea Channels and Madison Higginbotham while juniors included Gage Hennis, Carmine DiEugenio, Emma Lamp and Riley Heldreth.

They agreed it was an educational experience, and they enjoyed the opportunity to hone their abilities.

“I loved going again because this was my second time,” said Rogers. “I liked meeting new people from all over the U.S., and I loved getting to bond with them.”

“I liked working as a group in tasks. There were challenging assignments, and I met new people,” added Brousseau. “I got to talk to people and I’ve made friends there, so I was excited to see them again.”

“I liked that it pushed us out of comfort zone and into challenges that some people might face. There was one scenario where we worked without verbally communicating,” said Sandy. “There is a lot of leadership and endless opportunities to meet influential people. It’s definitely a bonding exercise for our class.”

Haynes also enjoyed getting the chance to meet new people and obtain leadership skills, and Channels concurred.

“It was a very educational experience,” Channels continued. “I learned a lot about leadership skills, public speaking and working together.”

Higginbotham noted that she wanted to meet others and learn why they joined HOSA.

“I loved hearing what other people took from the whole experience,” she commented.

The students also toured sites including the Smithsonian and Holocaust museums.

Tammy Sismondo, program instructor and HOSA adviser, said the group partook in advocacy sessions and social activities as another way to sharpen their skills as future health professionals.

“I think it’s a great experience for the students and they learned a lot of quality communication skills,” Sismondo said.