BEATRICE, Neb. - Students at a southeast Nebraska high school have been spending the school year getting a feel for the healthcare industry.

“Mostly we’re just trying to get kids excited about healthcare, whether that’s people who are already planning on going into healthcare or students who are still a bit unsure.”

Rachel Bisbee is the leader of the Beatrice HOSA program, Healthcare Occupation Students of America. A program to get those interested in healthcare valuable experience. Students like Brooke Duff and Brooklyn Frazier say they have.

“It gives you opportunities that are better for your future and they set you up for your long term goals,” Duff, a junior at BHS, said. “I did a job shadow and it brought me out in the outside world at the hospital and I got to connect with people who brought me into a better area so I could learn more.”

“It’s good for students to realize what they want to do,” Brooklyn Frazier, a junior, said. “Kind of connecting people in that field is good so they know if they want to do that in the future.”

And for others like Ciara Eggelston, HOSA has opened doors to potential options for higher education.

“I definetley learned a lot about a bunch more colleges that have really good healthcare programs,” Eggelston said. “I think it’s really important to go to a school that has a good program for that.”

Beatrice’s HOSA is warping up its first year of chapter, but they did a lot in year one, from college visits to weekly meetings. But for Bisbee, the trip to the state leadership conference was the highlight.

“It was really cool to meet kids and sponsors from all over the state who were all there for the same reason,” Bisbee said. “That’s another great thing about HOSA, you really get to meet people who are interested in the same things you are.”

Going forward, the program would like to add guest speakers as well as group volunteering.