Hands on Opportunities!

As a freshman in high school, I was more obsessed with idea of popularity rather than education. I wanted to flirt with the football players, rather than actually pay attention in class. My parents did not accept the receipt of failing grades in school, so I still earned good grades, however these grades did not reflect my true potential. Little Did I know, my attempt to become popular would soon cause a negative impact on my life. My sophomore year of high school, I became well known by everyone, however it wasn't the popularity I was looking for. I had become known as "the girl who cried rape". While people judged me based on what they heard about me, rather than what actually happened to me, they did not realize that I was going through a tough time in my life; I had actually been sexually assaulted by one of the Varsity Footballs players, and after his expulsion from my high school, rumors began to spread. Soon, I became a victim of bullying, and I no longer felt safe in the educational environment. Rather than actually focusing on my grades, I was more concerned about my bad reputation and I really did not want to attend school anymore, however, a Career Technical Student Organization known as HOSA: Future Health Professionals, came to my rescue. I soon became heavily involved in this organization, I served as a leader for my local high school, interned in a local hospital, and volunteered for various community service activities. This drove my passion for becoming a future health professional, therefore I came to realize that it didn't matter what people thought about me, but as long as I was getting my education,taking on amazing opportunities as a HOSA member, I was still doing big things in my life, and that was not something that cannot be reflected upon negatively. Career Technical Student Organizations provided me with hands on opportunities that really saved my educational career, and it can save others as well.