On Sept. 21- 24, three Montana HOSA state officers had the privilege to explore Washington D.C. when they attended a prestigious leadership program. One of these fortunate students is CMR senior Gail Parambi.

Parambi, who is on the board of directors of CMR HOSA and a state officer, attended the Washington Leadership Academy.  As a part of the program, they participated in several activities that emphasized team building.

“It’s like a convention for officers so they can develop leadership skills and learn about the healthcare career and stuff like that,” Parambi said. 

She also shared one of her favorite parts from the trip. 

“It’s cool to get to meet other officers from other states around the country, and just to get their take on things,” Parambi said. “[I love] the way you can serve best and utilize your own leadership skills, and work with other leaders to coordinate.”

Parmabi also had the chance to explore several sites in the nation’s capital, specifically the National Institute of Health, where she saw new amazing medical technology advances.

Aside from experiencing the different programs offered by the event, Parambi, along with her co-officers, went to Montana State representatives to ask support for the organization.

“We went to the offices of Congressmen Tester, Daines, and Gianforte to advocate for continued support of the Perkins Act, which supports career technical education,” Parambi said.

The Perkins Act provides funds for high school organizations, specifically, in Parambi’s case, for HOSA.