Franklin duo lands fourth at international health competition

By: Shelby Tankersley, Hometownlife.com

Congratulations to the Advanced Medicine students who successfully competed in the National HOSA comepetion this summer! 

Among the tens of thousands of high school students around the world who participate and compete through Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), two Livonia Franklin High School students emerged as some of the best in the world.. 

On June 18-23, recent Franklin graduates Chistianna Benson and Katelin Miller traveled to Disney World in Florida to compete in HOSA's international competition. To get there, they grabbed first place at the regional and state competitions. 

HOSA students can choose from 60 categories to compete in. Benson and Miller chose to take on the "health education" competition. 

The ladies met with Buchanan Elementary principal Jon Wennstrom, who told them he sees young students coming to the cafeteria with less-than-healthy lunches in tow. So, Benson and Miller took that as their project. 

"Obesity rates in America are raising super quickly," Benson said. "So we decided that would be a great topic to teach about."

Between October and April, the duo taught at five elementary schools, a middle school, high school, a Girl Scout Troop and the Livonia Civic Center Library. When all was said and done, they had talked to 17 groups and nearly 300 students about what it means to have a balanced diet. To keep the little ones engaged, the ladies used tests, presentations and games. 

The community service earned Benson and Miller fourth place at the international competition. 

"It was really exciting," Benson said. "We were not expecting to do so well because we knew we had a lot of competition. There are students there from China, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada and all 50 states. It was pretty exciting."

Their accomplishment made Franklin proud. 

"We have phenomenal teachers, but what it comes down to is the level of commitment that our students have," said Franklin principal Andrew Pesci. "The fact that they could represent Franklin in this capacity and Livonia Public Schools is just a testament to who they are as individuals."