A Traverse City high school student placed in the top three of a statewide phlebotomy contest last week.

According to a press release from Northwest Education Services (North Ed), Eli Fox, a junior at Traverse City Central High School, and part of the health sciences program at the Career Tech Center, placed third in the phlebotomy contest at the Michigan HOSA-Future Health Professionals State Leadership Conference. HOSA, which stands for “Health Occupations Students of America,” is a global student organization that seeks to empower students “to become leaders in the global health community, through education, collaboration, and experience.”

Per North Ed, health sciences students from the Career Tech Center participated in regional competitions in December, spanning 40 Lower Michigan counties and incorporating written exams and skills assessments of categories like medical terminology, nutrition, pharmacology, and phlebotomies. Phlebotomy is the process of using a needle and syringe to draw blood from a vein, usually for lab testing.

Students who placed eighth or higher at the regional competition advanced to the state level, including three students from the local Career Tech Center. In addition to Fox, Mancelona juniors Tamia Brown and McKenzie Miles competed in the public health category.

“Eli’s dedication and the skills he’s honed in the Health Sciences program were clearly evident at the state conference, said Elizabeth Miller, a Health Sciences instructor at Career Tech. “We could not be more proud of him and all of our students for their performance. It’s experiences like these that highlight the practical, engaging instruction we aim to provide as we prepare students for bright futures in health care.”

The health sciences program currently has 162 students, hailing from throughout North Ed’s five-county region. It is one of the largest programs at the Career Tech Center.

Pictured, from left: McKenzie Miles, Eli Fox, and Tamia Brown