Rockwall ISD EMT Students Sweep Area Competition, Win State Title

EMT students from Rockwall ISD's Dr. Gene Burton College & Career Academy swept all three podium positions at the HOSA Area 3 Emergency Medical Technician competition, marking the first EMT sweep in that Area's history, and carried the momentum straight through to a state championship.

The clean 1st, 2nd and 3rd finish sent every Rockwall ISD EMT team that competed at the Area level to the Texas State HOSA Competition. There, partners Emma Sloan-Garza and Andrew Nash finished first in the EMT event, outpacing 20 other teams to claim the top award in the state.

Their state title earned a spot on the national stage: Sloan-Garza and Nash will represent Rockwall ISD at the HOSA International Leadership Competition in June.

The competitive run was not the program's only standout achievement this season. A separate four-person Rockwall ISD team finished second at the TPSTA State Competition, a strong result made more remarkable by the fact that it was the team's debut year competing at that level.

HOSA, which stands for Future Health Professionals and was formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, hosted both the Area and State competitions. At the state contest, GBCCA students also competed in Prepared Speaking, where Gabby Dong placed fourth and Bella Dominguez advanced to compete.

The Dr. Gene Burton College & Career Academy has been building a foundation for these results through hands-on training well beyond the competition floor. GBCCA EMT students visited the Dallas College Cedar Valley Paramedic Program for a practical learning experience, while the Academy's CCMA students completed hospital orientation at Presbyterian Hospital Rockwall and Baylor Lake Pointe in Rowlett.

With Sloan-Garza and Nash headed to the international competition in June, the program's historic Area sweep now has a final chapter still to be written.