Contributed VISITING WASHINGTON — Members of the Health Occupation Students of America -Future Health Professionals from Jefferson County Joint Vocational School who attended the 18th annual Washington Leadership Academy on Sept. 26-30 included, from left, Journey West, Kaydence Lasater, Olivia Brousseau, Kimber Rogers, Kaylee Sandy and Brooke Scharfenberg.

BLOOMINGDALE — Health technologies students from Jefferson County Joint Vocational School headed to the nation’s capital for the 18th-annual Washington Leadership Academy.

Six juniors and seniors representing the school chapter of Health Occupations Students of America-Future Health Professionals visited Washington on Sept. 27-30. According to the HOSA website, the academy features dynamic workshops and interactive activities to teach HOSA leaders to be better advocates of the organization’s mission and vision. The experience is the highest level of leadership development for HOSA-Future Health Professionals.

JVS Adviser Tammy Sismondo said it was the second year her students attended and they gained valuable leadership skills for the future.

“There were about 500 students from different states,” she said. “The Washington Leadership Academy has workshops on leadership skills, how to operate meetings and how to work with leadership styles to be more assertive. The teachers also have meetings that we attend with one on “Notice–Talk Out,” by the American Psychiatric Association, and there’s also an advocacy session and happenings in HOSA.”

Their agenda included a series of leadership sessions and National Marrow Donor Program service project training as well as twilight tours of the Pentagon City Mall and area monuments. Sismondo said the group heard “Social Media 101” tips for internet safety and professionally communicating online, plus they made a stop at Arlington Cemetery where they viewed a changing of the guard and a representative laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Among the students attending were Kimber Rogers, Olivia Brousseau, Journey West, Kaydence Lasater, Kaylee Sandy and Brooke Scharfenberg.

“We had conferences and learned about leadership skills and did activities to get to know people from all over the U.S.,” said Rogers, the daughter of Chad and Emily Rogers of Cadiz and a junior at Harrison Central High School. “We learned how to communicate with people, and the things we learned at the Washington Leadership Academy helped me improve my communication skills.”

“We learned speaking skills,” added Brousseau, the daughter of Greg and Annette Brousseau of Toronto and a junior at Edison High School. “I learned that you can’t be scared to start or you can’t get somewhere.”

“We learned about different types of leaders and different skills,” added West, the daughter of Mark and Billie West of Toronto and a senior at Toronto High School. “It helped me to be more confident and to reach out and talk to new people.”

All three said they have an interest in working in the health field and what they learned will benefit them in the future. Among their possible careers were a nurse practitioner, occupational therapist and flight medic.