Kofa nursing teacher wins statewide HOSA history competition

Hillary Habecker’s statewide HOSA victory puts a familiar Yuma classroom in the spotlight: the Kofa High School nursing teacher took first place in a history competition created for Arizona HOSA advisors, a recognition that reaches beyond one trophy and into the pipeline for local health-care jobs.

Habecker is listed on Kofa High School’s Career and Technical Education page as the Nursing Services/HOSA standards teacher, and Yuma Union High School District says its CTE programs are built around state-approved courses that follow a coherent sequence leading to state standards. In practice, that means students at Kofa are not just learning about health care in theory. They are moving through a pathway designed to prepare them for the kind of work Yuma-area families depend on in clinics, hospitals and long-term care settings.

The HOSA history contest was a one-time competition tied to Arizona HOSA’s 2026 State Leadership Conference and created to mark HOSA’s 50th anniversary. Arizona HOSA says the organization was founded in 2005 and has helped more than 20,000 students prepare for health-care careers. Habecker’s win among other Arizona HOSA advisors underscored the role teachers play in building that workforce track long before students enter an interview room or a clinical rotation.

Kofa’s program has already shown results beyond Habecker’s individual award. In February 2026, the Kofa High School HOSA-Future Health Professionals team took first place in Community Awareness at the Regional Leadership Conference, adding another sign that the school’s health-science pathway is producing student success, not just classroom instruction. For Yuma County, that matters because health-care employers need graduates who arrive with the basics already in place, and students need training that connects directly to real careers close to home.

The district’s announcement placed Habecker’s win alongside other student achievements, a reminder that Kofa’s CTE work is part of a larger effort to connect classroom learning with the local economy. In a city where health-care access and job growth are both community priorities, Habecker’s statewide recognition reflects something more lasting than an individual prize: a program helping Yuma students step toward the region’s medical workforce.