With the Class of 2024 and 2025 inching toward graduation and future career pathways, Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) hosted the annual Entree to Employment event at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) to open opportunities, conversations and advice to the BioScience Academy students on Feb. 22, 2024.
The purpose of the event is to provide students with the opportunity to meet professionals from diverse occupations, ranging from doctors and private practice owners, to biochemists and firefighters. These special guests spoke about their professions, answered questions and initiated interview questions between themselves and the students.
“Entree to Employment is … getting to know real world professionals from the medical and science field in order for our students to gain experience and opportunities in their future careers,” Cohort 18 HOSA Service Lead, Laura Szavo ‘24 stated.
As 6 p.m. rolled around, the event began, and the students and visitors took their assigned seats. The gathering was set up as a dinner party in Spirito Hall, where tables with menus, icebreakers and centerpieces were laid out for the insightful evening.
Before the formal conversation commenced, Mika Anderson, Bioscience Academy Director, introduced herself and officially began the dinner party while outlining what the night would look like, from the entrees to the dessert. Class of 2026, Cohort 20, worked at the event as make-shift waiters and waitresses, taking the orders from the guests, with the options supplied from Presto Pasta.
As dishes were sent out to the visitors, formal conversations began to flow over dinner. Students engaged in various discussions with the designated peers and professionals at their table.
As the professionals and the students finished eating and discussing around the table at 7:15 p.m., the intermission began. During the intermission, people mingled and talked while eating desserts that Cohort 20 set out for them.
After the intermission, it was time for the interviewing process. The professionals stayed at their assigned tables while the students changed tables, allowing them to learn about more potential careers. While the students were at their tables, the professionals would interview students, helping them build the skill for their near future.
Mika Anderson said, “They’re really learning how to network … how to connect and how to work their way into a job … at school they’re learning technical skills, but this is something that we call a soft skill, to learn how to communicate and present yourself. “
While Cohort 18 (seniors) and Cohort 19 (juniors) were interviewing with the professionals, Cohort 20 cleaned the tables and prepared boxes of pasta and dessert for people to take home, as well as preparing a gift for the professionals, which consisted of a bundle of flowers and a blue cookie shaped as medical scrubs or a bacterial plate.
“I was mainly behind [the scenes] getting everything set up and having the dinner staffed … having the shifts together really brought us together, ” Finn Alleman ‘26 stated.
As 8 p.m. came and everyone prepared to leave the event, Anderson took the time to address the students who helped make it all happen. While they were exiting, Cohort 20 stood by exit, saying their goodbyes. At the end of the night, Cohort 18 and Cohort 19 went home in excitement of their future, with new opportunities opened for them … Cohort 20 had the chance to bond, and to gain a glimpse into what is to come for the next two years.
