A Very HOSA Christmas

Health Occupations Students American high school students who attend Sikeston Career and Technology Center hosted the annual Operation Hope Community Service Christmas. Operation Hope is a program where high school students mentor to at-risk children during the school year. The high school students do things to boost self esteem, teach them communication skills, raise awareness about depression, bullying and many other things. They do hands-on health care labs to get the kids excited abut their education and establish short term goals with them, according to SCTC HOSA adviser Gloria Houston. The high school students are changed, too, because they learn to serve others and they find that education and hard work become more important to them as well, Houston said. This year they provided warm clothes and wish list items for 85 children and a hot meal for more than 250 people. "These students are the true meaning of being the change you want to see in the world," Houston said.