Med High junior captures top spot in national event

MERCEDES — In an intense national competition for the Health Occupations Students of America in late June, Med High student Julienne Dy of McAllen proved she can win the gold when it comes to her knowledge of health and science.

At the national HOSA competition Nashville, Tenn., the 17-year-old senior from South Texas High School for Health Professions triumphed in Human Growth and Development, an event Dy chose to participate in to prepare for a future career as a pediatrician.

“It wasn’t the easiest area in the competition,” Dy said. “It was pretty difficult, but they didn’t ask me anything that was too hard.”

Established in 1976, HOSA is an organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in health care by providing the knowledge and skills of health science technology to students, allowing them to meet the increasing needs of the medical community.

Since its inception more than three decades ago, HOSA has grown to nearly 90,000 members through approximately 2,600 secondary and collegiate chapters, according to the organization’s Web site.

Rigo Olivarez, health teacher and HOSA adviser at the preparatory school, accompanied the team of students to the national competition 1,800 miles away from the Rio Grande Valley.

“The HOSA competition is a big competition at Med-High. Every year we challenge each other to do better than the previous year,” Olivarez said. “We’re always really excited. All other schools have football, cheerleading, basketball … We have HOSA.”

In her freshman and sophomore years at Med High, Dy participated in area and state competitions, winning top spots in those events. Like all other participants, however, it was Dy’s goal to make it to nationals.

“Our kids impress us because they’re so well-prepared,” Olivarez said. “It amazes me how dedicated these kids are, especially when they go to nationals. Just going to Med High prepares them well.”

This year, he said, it was even more dedication and determination that led her to the top.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all,” Dy said. “I knew I was getting better, but I was not expecting to win first place.”
Julienna Dy, mother of the gold medal recipient, describes her daughter as a hard-working and disciplined student.

The senior student does not have to be pushed to do her homework or concentrate on her studies, she said, especially when it comes to HOSA.

 “We are very happy because she worked really hard for it,” Julienna Dy said. “She’ll just do what she has to do.”
Following a multiple-choice test that resulted with no official winner, a timed tie-breaker essay competition won Julienne Dy the top prize. With one more year at Med High ahead of her, she is already prepared to take the gold medal home in 2010.

“I’ve been working hard and I’m definitely coming back next year,” she said.

Speechless and content with the results of the competition, Dr. Peter Dy said his daughter deserved to take the gold home, something she worked diligently to attain that represents the Valley in a positive light as well.

“I can only say that she’s a hard-working girl and she’s very studious,” Peter Dy said. “She deserves it all.”