The healthcare knowledge of Tonawanda High School student Marlea Kolepp shined as she was a member of a gold medal-winning team at the SkillsUSA State Competition.
Marlea and her Erie 1 BOCES team won the Health Knowledge Bowl during the competition, which was held on April 24 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. Teams are judged on accuracy of answering questions in a variety of categories including anatomy and physiology; medical terminology; healthcare procedures; healthcare systems; employability skills; legal responsibility; ethics; safety practices; current events related to healthcare; communication and teamwork.
Marlea and her teammates will soon be competing during the SkillsUSA Championships, which are held in Atlanta, Ga., from June 23-27 as a part of the SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference. The competition brings together more than 6,500 state champions from across the United States competing head-to-head in 114 skilled and leadership competitions.
In an interview done as part of the Erie 1 BOCES (E1B) Collaborate series, Marlea said she wanted to work in primary care and preventative medicine, with a goal of making her community a better place.
“I’ve always wanted to go into healthcare to help others and learn more about the human body,” she said. “This program has given me background knowledge for my future endeavors and helped me build relationships with others and patients.”
Congratulations to Marlea and her teammates!