2017-2018 State Officers

President: Elizabeth Church

Elizabeth Church is honored to be serving as the thirteenth President for Arizona HOSA - Future Health Professionals. Infused with passion, Elizabeth is excited to be giving back to an organization that has given her so much.

This year will mark Elizabeth’s fifth year as a HOSA member and her second year as an Arizona HOSA state officer. Throughout her journey, Elizabeth has been recognized as a two time platinum member, placed in the top ten for Biomedical Debate at the 2015 International Leadership Conference, and served as last year’s AzHOSA Region 2 Vice President.

Elizabeth recently graduated from Paradise Valley High School’s CREST (Center for Research, Engineering, Science, and Technology) bioscience program. She will be attending the University of Arizona this fall and will be majoring in Physiology and minoring in Theatrical Arts. She is continually trying to blend her love for the arts and her interests in science. Ultimately, Elizabeth aspires to be a trauma surgeon and hopes to be able to extend a helping hand to those in need.

Outside of HOSA, Elizabeth is highly involved in theatre and dive, and loves to paint and read in her spare time. She was also an intern at the Barrow Neurological Institute and a competitor in the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair, placing third in the competition last spring.

William Longgood once wrote that “dreams and dedication are a powerful combination” and Elizabeth has lived by those words ever since she read them. She believes that the benefits of being a HOSA member are endless and that the best is yet to come.

Region 1 Vice President: Angelique Manriquez

Angelique Manriquez is honored to be serving as your Arizona HOSA 2017-2018 Region 1 Vice President, representing northern Arizona. She is a current freshman at Northern Arizona University and is studying biosciences in pre nursing track. After attending NAU, she hopes to attend Midwestern University and study to become an anesthesiologist.

Angelique is a recent graduate of Glendale High School, and her HOSA journey began once she was accepted to her high school’s nursing assisting program during her senior year and was placed into her school’s HOSA chapter, serving as the Vice President, making her first year a memorable one. Angelique first attended the 2017 Spring Leadership Conference, and the experience was the highlight of her journey, receiving a silver member award and being elected to serve on the 2017-2018 state officer team.

At Glendale High School, Angelique participated in spiritline, serving as the captain her senior year, was part of the dance team for two years, and was a Link Crew member. These leadership roles, along with the great support of her family and advisor, drove Angelique to run for state office.

Being a member of HOSA has been a great opportunity for Angelique to achieve her future goals, as well as made her a more well-rounded person. Anis Mojgani said “Do not let one moment go by that doesn’t remind you that your heart, it beats 900 times every single day, and that there are enough gallons of blood to make everyone of you oceans.” She feels a strong connection towards the quote because it reminds her that everyone is equally important and strong.

Angelique looks forward to a great term with her team and is excited to serve all Arizona members.

Region 2 Vice President: Marissa Bower

HOSA - Future Health Professionals has been very important to Marissa Bower as she has gone throughout her high school career. As she transfers into college, Marissa is continuing her participation in HOSA for a fourth year. Throughout her time in HOSA, Marissa has been the River Valley High School Chapter President, Arizona HOSA Region 1 Vice President, and is currently serving as the state’s Region 2 Vice President, representing Western Phoenix. As a member, Marissa has been recognized twice for online testing and twice for the Health Career Display Board event at the Spring Leadership Conference.

Marissa previously attended River Valley High School and is now a freshman at Grand Canyon University. While in high school, Marissa participated in a wide variety of activities such as National Honor Society, cross country, and soccer where she was the varsity team’s captain for two years. She also volunteered at numerous community-wide events through another community service group known as Demolition Club. Additionally, Marissa has been enrolled at Mohave Community College for two years and has obtained her Certified Nursing Assistant certificate as well as forty-three college credits. At Grand Canyon University, Marissa plans to study nursing in hopes of becoming a neonatal nurse who works in the newborn intensive care unit.

In the words of Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”. Marissa believes that this quote is important to keep in mind as both a leader and HOSA member because failure is critical to true success. As a member, if something does not go as planned, one needs to find a way to push through the obstacles and gain knowledge on how to improve the next time around. With that being said, Marissa plans on helping HOSA members succeed in this organization by sharing her experience, knowledge, and passion. She is very enthused to be serving Arizona’s membership for another term!

Region 4 Vice President: Kaylyn Peterson

Kaylyn Petersen is honored to be serving Arizona HOSA as the 2017-2018 Region 4 Vice President, representing southern Arizona. This year will mark Kaylyn’s second year as a HOSA member. She was introduced to HOSA as a junior after being accepted into the nursing assistant program at Paradise Valley High School. In her first year, Kaylyn competed in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Skills at the 2016 Spring Leadership Conference, placing 2nd and qualifying her to compete at the first ever International Leadership Conference. The following year, Kaylyn again competed in CERT placing 5th overall, and was also elected to serve on the 2017-2018 state officer team.

Kaylyn is a recent graduate of Paradise Valley High School and a graduate of the nursing assistant program, through which she received her Nursing Assistant certificate. She was also on the varsity basketball team for three years and was the captain her senior year. Additionally, she was in National Honors Society, Society of Women Scholars, and Link Crew. Currently, Kaylyn is a freshman at the University of Arizona: Honors College, majoring in Physiology in the College of Medicine. She aspires to continue her education in medical school and become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Thomas A. Edison once said, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” This is a quote that inspired Kaylyn because she does not want to go through life wondering “what if I didn’t quit”, but instead to try one more time because one will never know the greatness that can come from it.

Kaylyn is very excited about being a state officer and cannot wait to serve the members of Arizona HOSA- Future Health Professionals.

Secretary: Gregory Carnesi

Gregory Carnesi is honored to be serving a second term on the Arizona HOSA - Future Health Professionals Executive Board as your Secretary. In his office he looks forward to documenting the ideas and innovations of your State Officer Team as they push the frontlines of Arizona HOSA. He is entering his senior year at Paradise Valley High School in the CREST (Center for Research Engineering Science and Technology) Bioscience Program and looks forward to meeting and inspiring HOSA members across the state.

HOSA was the first club Gregory joined in his freshman year. In his three years of membership, Gregory has been recognized as a two time HOSA Gold Member, placed top 10 in state for Researched Persuasive Speaking and Public Speaking, and most recently served as last year’s State Parliamentarian

Outside of HOSA, Gregory is involved in a variety of extracurriculars, including the National Honor Society, Paradise Valley’s Miso Voce choir, and fencing. He is also a member of both the National Association of Parliamentarians and the American Institute of Parliamentarians, and serves as the Arizona State Association of Parliamentarians Publicity Committee Chair. After his education he is interested in pursuing a career in law and public service.

Gregory believes in the words of Thomas Jefferson,“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any.” He is committed to putting in his best effort and works tirelessly to ensure the quality of his work, whether it be in his personal or professional life.

Gregory looks forward to serving the entirety of Arizona HOSA in the coming year!

Historian/Reporter: Alexandra Rolfness

Alexandra Rolfness is honored to be serving as Arizona HOSA’s Historian/Reporter for the 2017-2018 term. A current sophomore at Paradise Valley High School, she is enrolled in the CREST (Center for Research, Engineering, Science, and Technology) bioscience program.

In the future, Alexandra hopes to become a biomolecular engineer with a strong foundation in pathophysiology so that she may study diseases at a molecular level. She dreams of impacting the field of pharmaceutical research and saving lives.

Outside of HOSA, Alexandra is also a rower on the Tempe Town Lake Rowing team, enjoys travelling for regattas, and being on the lake during sunset after a hard row. She is also involved in her school’s speech and debate team, robotics team, and National Honors Society. Outside of school, she enjoys relaxing via the creative outlet of playing piano.

Alexandra hopes to utilize the skills she has gained from her extracurricular involvements to best serve HOSA. In the famous words of Albert Einstein, “strive not to be a success, but to be of value”. Alexandra aims to lead AzHOSA’s state membership to excel. She believes the opportunities that HOSA has to offer gives students the skills and knowledge that are not only invaluable for their futures, but for engaging them in an amazing community. She wants to help make sure all members can get that experience.

Alexandra Rolfness is proud to be serving this year and cannot wait to document the history that Arizona HOSA makes to form the future of the health professions.

Parliamentarian: Ryan O'Hara

Ryan O’Hara is honored and excited to be serving Arizona HOSA’s membership as the 2017-2018 Parliamentarian. A senior in Paradise Valley High School’s CREST (Center for Research, Engineering, Science, and Technology) bioscience program, Ryan hopes to connect and grow with AzHOSA’s diverse membership over the course of the coming year.

Ryan first joined HOSA: Future Health Professionals during his freshman year at the urging of his bioscience instructor. Since his first steps into the HOSA world, he has served as his chapter’s treasurer, placed first and eighth in extemporaneous writing at the AzHOSA State and HOSA International Leadership Conferences respectively, and is the two-time recipient of the silver-level individual membership award. Above all else, HOSA has sparked Ryan’s passion in the healthcare field, inspiring him to chase after his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.

Outside of HOSA, Ryan continually pursues his interests in athletics, science, and the arts. He is a varsity athlete on his school’s swim team, serves as a research intern at ASU’s Biodesign Center, and has been involved in theatre - both as an actor and member of tech crew - since the fourth grade. In his free time, Ryan plays the piano and writes.

Author Robert Byrne once said that “the purpose of life is a life of purpose.” This quote has inspired Ryan to leap beyond his boundaries, teaching him lifelong skills in confidence and showing him the values in chasing after seemingly impossible dreams. Ryan hopes to instill these skills in each and every member of AzHOSA so that they may continue to grow and flourish.

Ryan cannot wait to serve Arizona through HOSA!