Southern Miss hosted the Future Health Professions State Leadership conference for Spring 2026 from March 4 to 6, giving an opportunity for high school students aspiring to be health professionals to explore different programs and schools and find a good fit.
HOSA is a global student-led organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, along with several federal and state agencies. HOSA aims to empower members to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience. It is open to middle school, high school, postsecondary and collegiate students, as well as professionals and alumni. HOSA actively promotes career opportunities in the health industry and enhances the delivery of quality health care to all people.
The conference hosted at Southern Miss was a chapter that specifically looks at high school students aspiring to be healthcare professionals. The students who participated in the program went through testing and hands-on skill demonstrations in different categories. There was also an award ceremony on the final day.
“It is essentially introducing high school students to health care professions,” Jennifer Wilmoth, the Academic Program Director of the School of Health Professions, said. “High school is pretty young to choose an exact career path in life, but if a student is interested in healthcare, HOSA is a good way to expose them to different sectors of healthcare.”
Wilmoth expanded that there are multiple healthcare professions that people are not always aware of. The conference aimed to make students aware of different paths in healthcare that students might not have been aware of.
The event opened with an opening ceremony with some keynote speakers to welcome the students to the conference. The students were then allowed to do written tests and skills tests. Some of the skills tests included CPR, forensics skills, and public health presentations. The program also included a blood drive and poster presentations. Other schools and colleges also interacted with the students to help them find a program that would fit the students’ ambitions.
The conference aimed to help students find a good fit for their higher education. The students could also interact with faculty and volunteers to discuss their experience and fit.
“We competed, and we presented our research,” said students from Tupelo Public School. “We presented on junk food and its drawbacks.”
