High school students across the state compete in the Hub City

High school students from across Tennessee met right here in the Hub City to put their skills to the test.

Oh yea the nerves are always there.

Very excited and very nervous because I haven’t really competed in this one before.

Students lined the hallways of Jackson State Community College studying and preparing for their chance to show off their skills.

The HOSA regional competition joins over twelve hundred high school students to compete in about thirty healthcare competitions.

West Tennessee Vice President, Delaney Jones says, “there are different competitions, for example there is medical terminology, there is dental science, so if you want to be a dentist you can work on that.”

Students say they take their competition serious, because each competition gives the them a look into their future career.

“If this is actually your job you’re not going to be doing it to somebody you know very well or there’s going to be people in the room so you have to be prepared to be doing those skills correctly in front of a group of people", says competitor Millie Grimsley.

Students can advance to compete in the state and national levels after regionals in Jackson, but at the end of the day…

“Win or lose it’s just the experience in a whole, I wouldn’t change it for anything", adds HOSA State President, Jaylie Shaver.

Now the competition will continue tomorrow, and winners will be announced. In Jackson, for 39 News, I'm Imani Williams.