State Officer Biographies
Raúl Hasbún Raúl Hasbún is a student at Stanford University, majoring in Economics and Human Biology. He is a QuestBridge College Match Recipient at Stanford, and a Gates Millennium Scholar. After serving as the 2011-2012 State Representative at Large, he is thankful for the opportunity to continue serving California HOSA, as the 2012-2013 State President.
Aside from his passion and love for HOSA, Raúl is greatly devoted to volunteerism, donating over 1,000 hours of his time to volunteer work throughout his high school years, including about 750 hours at a local hospital, John Muir Medical Center. From an early age, Raúl knew that he wanted to go into a healthcare profession, and he has set a goal of becoming a neurosurgeon, so working in a hospital environment was an invaluable experience for him. However, Raúl is most appreciative of the genuine interest in serving the community that volunteering has helped him develop.
Raúl is committed to being a leader in his community to influence the lives of those around him, and he knows that California HOSA has equipped him with the skills and experience he needs to reach his goals. Now, he is dedicated to ensuring that HOSA members and peers obtain as much out this organization as he has. He is incredibly excited for his term as State President, and for how California HOSA will continue the tradition of success it has established!
Rebekah Catron
President-Elect
Rebekah Catron, a junior from Esperanza High School, is honored to be serving as your 2012-2013 California HOSA President Elect. Rebekah is in her second year as an active HOSA member, with previous leadership experience serving as her chapter’s 2011-2012 Vice President. She is enthusiastic to take the ultimate leadership challenge and serve as a part of the California HOSA State Officer team.
Recently diagnosed with an epidermal cyst on her brain stem, Rebekah got a first-hand experience of the compassion her pediatrician displayed while working with her family to get through this challenging experience. This sparked a passion for the medical field, and now Rebekah is energized with HOSA fever as it guides her love for science, and a desire to serve others just as her pediatrician did for her. Although undecided on a specific career, Rebekah plans to attend a four-year university and earn a BS in Biology, with a Minor in Health Care Administration.
Aside from school and HOSA, Rebekah loves to play lacrosse and volunteer with her church. From being on the field to helping clean up around community, she believes any activity is fun as long as she has a positive attitude and surrounds herself with encouraging people.
Rebekah is excited to be part of California HOSA, an organization that teaches and encourages students how to become better leaders, as well as health care professionals. She is grateful to serve as your state officer and looks forward to the great achievements California HOSA will accomplish.
Antonio Hernandez
Executive Vice President
Antonio Hernandez is ecstatic to be serving California HOSA as Executive Vice President. As a senior attending Dozier-Libbey Medical High School, Antonio is currently in his fourth year as an active participant in HOSA and has had previous leadership experience serving as his Chapter President for two years and as the 2011-2012 State President. With his mind and heart aimed at health care, he knows that HOSA will guide him to a successful future.
As a student at a medically oriented school, Antonio is exposed to many aspects of health care. Taking trips to hospitals and other facilities has helped him learn and enjoy health care. His many high school experiences have encouraged him to fully commit to a career in health care. Although not entirely decided on a specific career, he enjoys researching and expanding his knowledge of medicine.
Antonio is passionate about fitness. He enjoys playing sports and is a valuable player on the Antioch High School tennis team. He actively works out with his friends every day and advocates for healthy nutrition and fitness. In addition, Antonio leads a fitness class that is attended by many of his friends and family. Through his passion for fitness, he hopes to make a difference in the world and create a healthier tomorrow.
His interests also include music, computers, video games, and business. He has played trombone for three years as part of the Dozier-Libbey Medical High School Orchestra and plays a number of other instruments. During his free time he enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Antonio loves helping the community and is excited to accomplish great achievements in HOSA
Samantha Powell
Vice President of Leadership
Samantha Powell is very excited and enthusiastic to be your new Vice President of Leadership for California HOSA this year. She is also very appreciative for this amazing opportunity. Samantha is currently attending Palmdale High School as a junior where her passion for helping others began at a very young age. She is a very organized and dedicated person who will always do her best to improve California HOSA as a whole.
Samantha enjoys spending her time volunteering within her community and putting others needs first. She also enjoyed representing her sophomore class for the Health Careers Academy, which inspired her to be involved with HOSA. Within the Academy she has be able to explore the health career field and become educated about the professions and practices of health care professions.
As a freshman in high school she was a member of the Palmdale’s softball team, the Freshmen Vice President for her chapter as well as a member of the PTSA board for her Junior High School. Coming into her junior year she was determined to continue her involvement in California HOSA where she decided to run for Vice President of Leadership because of her past experience and compassion as last year’s Region 3 Vice President. This elite organization gives her the experience and knowledge that will aid her in becoming a Neuro-surgeon. After finishing high school Samantha wishes to attend Stanford and then medical school.
California HOSA as an organization provides students like herself to have an opportunity of a lifetime to explore within the health care field as well as obtain leadership skills. Samantha encourages fellow members to enjoy their time within California HOSA and to advocate for organizations like California HOSA because of the plethora of opportunities available for students to develop valuable skills. She is determined to do her best to work with the California HOSA officers to and help make California HOSA the strongest it has ever been!
Kyle Damron
Vice President of Membership
Kyle Damron is honored to serve California HOSA as your Vice President of Membership for 2012-2013! He has made a personal goal to commemorate his election by serving California HOSA to his fullest potential as a State Officer.
His passion for healthcare was further ignited as a high school freshman when he was accepted as a member of the Oakmont Health Careers Academy. Kyle succeeded in classes such as Introduction to Medicine, Advanced Medical Science, and Medical Trends Seminar.
Oakmont’s academy also offered Kyle the opportunity to serve in an internship at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. He experienced many facets of the hospital environment- from preparing patient meals in the Nutrition Department to prepping patients for surgical procedures. Determined to be a future healthcare professional, Kyle’s internship experience proved invaluable. A graduate of the Class of 2012, Kyle majors in Biochemistry at Chico State University in the Honors Program.In his free time, Kyle enjoys riding motocross bikes, camping, and playing trumpet. However, to Kyle, nothing is more fulfilling or enjoyable than returning to serve patients in the hospital. As this is his fourth year participating in HOSA, the synergy created by the experience has ignited his determination to draw more students into HOSA. He’s fired up! Ready for action and living by his personal belief that “what you do proves what you believe,” Kyle is eager to improve and expand California HOSA with the State Officer team!
Hannah Woster
Region 1 Vice President
Standing 6 feet tall and having large feet, Hannah Woster always makes a splash at any gathering and is excited to serve California HOSA as Region 1 Vice President. She has been an active participant for two years within HOSA and has gained leadership skills while serving as a chapter officer at Oakmont High School. In addition, Hannah is team captain on her high school swim team and serves as a leader for her church youth group. These opportunities also help Hannah serve the needs of California HOSA.
Participation in Oakmont’s Health Careers Academy has helped Hannah learn about the health career field and, as a result, she is working towards her goal of becoming a physician’s assistant. She has been job shadowing and participating in a clinical position at a local hospital. Hannah is passionate about healthcare and how healthcare can change lives.
She lives in Roseville with her parents and two siblings. While she is a California native, she also lived for 6 years in Kansas so she is very familiar with every Wizard of Oz reference that exists. She also enjoys many activities such as competitive swimming, playing water polo, hanging out with friends, participating in church activities, and camping. Hannah has diverse interests, holding an amateur radio license and playing the violin and viola (though she hasn’t practiced in a while!)
Hannah also loves meeting new people and going to new places. She looks forward to continue this while serving California HOSA.
Cari Carter
Region 2 Vice President
Cari Carter has been a member of John Muir Health HOSA for two years, where she served as Representative-at-Large and Social Committee Chairman. She considers California HOSA to be her second family and is very excited to step up to the position of 2012-2013 California HOSA Region 2 Vice President. During her first State Leadership Conference, Cari was a top finalist in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) competition, qualifying her to attend the National Leadership Conference. Cari attends Miramonte High School in Orinda, California and believes that her tenacious attitude and social nature has helped prepare her to learn and lead. She is thankful for the opportunity to provide this within the California HOSA community.
From a very early age, Cari has exhibited two strong passions: crafts and helping others. She has taken art classes since 1st grade, and is always helping those around her, personally and professionally. In discussing potential career opportunities, at all ages, she has always included something within the health care field. Through her involvement with California HOSA and a Shriners Hospital tour at the Medical Leadership Institute, she realized that she wants to pursue work in prosthetics, where building limbs for children and adults combines her love for crafting and medicine.
Cosme Morales
Region 4 Vice President
Cosme Morales is currently a junior attending Blair Ib Magnet High School and is enrolled in the Health Careers Academy. He is truly honored to serve as the California HOSA 2012-2013 Vice President of Region 4. For two years he has been a part of HOSA and from his chapter he has been able to learn about many new inspiring careers in the health care field. He is currently the blood drive coordinator for his school and for his sophomore year he was elected to be his academy’s class president.
He is currently his school’s ASB Secretary and is determined to always help his fellow students. He is an active member of Lions International, a worldwide organization that helps promote student involvement in their community and strives to solve community problems. He has also volunteered with the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and was able to work with cancer patients that made him realize how much of an impact we as people have on the health care field. He enjoys being involved.
Being able to implement all of these roles he strives to one day become a pathologist and learn as many as ten languages. In the future he would like to be able to travel abroad to as many countries as he can. Cosme believes that being able to communicate internationally is being able to further help people worldwide.
Celeste Estrada
Region 5 Vice President
Celeste Estrada is 16 years old and she is your new Region 5 Vice President! Celeste is currently a varsity cheerleader and soon to be senior at Southwest High School. At school, she was in a dance academy called SAVAPA Dance from2010-2011. Dance has always been a passion she has loved. During her junior year, she ran for office in her local HOSA chapter and was elected by her advisor to be Vice President of her high school HOSA chapter.
Being a chapter officer for HOSA requires leadership skills. Celeste learned about leadership in 8th grade when she was in ASB at her junior high. She was elected President and had to lead her school activities and assemblies. The most challenging moment for her was when she had to give a speech for her 8th grade promotion. She gave her speech in front of approximately 600 people. Once she was done with her speech, she got many compliments and knew that she loved public speaking. She loves being a leader and wants to lead HOSA at the state level. HOSA is, and always will be, a big part of Celeste's life. HOSA has helped her come out of her shell, be involved in community service, and be a strong leader.
