UH Hilo students compete at international healthcare conference, bring home gold medal for their PSA presentation

Posted on July 28, 2025January 9, 2026 by Staff

The win is a major milestone for Mark Niko Casimiro (Chemistry) and Vivien Niomi Corpuz (Nursing) in their journey toward becoming future healthcare leaders.

From left, Mark Niko Casimiro and Vivien Niomi Corpuz. (Courtesy photo from UH Hilo HOSA)

By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.

Two students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo brought home gold from the 2025 HOSA International Leadership Conference held last month in Nashville, TN.

The first place win in the competitive Public Service Announcement event in the post-secondary division is a major milestone for Mark Niko Casimiro (Chemistry) and Vivien Niomi Corpuz (Nursing) in their journey toward becoming future healthcare leaders.

“Attending the 2025 HOSA International Leadership Conference never really crossed my mind at first, mainly due to the financial burden that often comes with traveling out of state for such a large-scale event,” says Casimiro, a sophomore majoring in chemistry and current president of UH Hilo HOSA. “I had doubts about whether I could afford it, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to compete on an international stage. But after much thought, encouragement, and faith, I made the decision to take a chance, and I’m incredibly grateful that I did.”

The international conference had over 14,000 attendees, of which 220 were from Hawaiʻi. The UH Hilo winning team’s PSA focused on the urgent need for brain health awareness, highlighting the rising prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of brain-healthy habits.

“Congratulations, Niko and Vivien!,” says UH Hilo HOSA advisor Lark Morin who currently serves as a health and wellness education specialist at the UH System Office of the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. “I’m very proud of you two. May you inspire our next wave of HOSA students at UH Hilo.”

Jarred Prudencio from UH Hilo’s Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy also serves as an advisor for the group.

HOSA is a global student-led organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services and several federal and state agencies. HOSA’s mission is to empower HOSA-Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community, through education, collaboration, and experience.

HOSA Future Health Professionals is an international organization with more than 250,000 members and 2.5 million alumni. It was established in Hawaiʻi in 2005 and has grown to more than 1,700 members. UH Hilo has the largest number of post-secondary HOSA members in Hawaiʻi, highlighting the strong commitment to offering students valuable opportunities to grow and succeed in the healthcare field.

A UH Hilo PSA team brought home the silver medal in 2022. According to the UH Hilo HOSA ILC newsletter, Casimiro and Corpuz’s 2025 win “marks a new chapter of success for UH Hilo’s HOSA chapter, demonstrating not only our students’ talent and perseverance but also the strong mentorship ad support from our advisors. With this victory, our students have set the bar even higher for future competitions and continue to inspire others to pursue excellence in the healthcare field.”

UH Hilo was also recognized at the June conference for a submission to the HOSA Happenings newsletter that showcased the accomplishments and activities of the UH Hilo chapter throughout the year.

Students at the conference not only competed in healthcare events but also attended leadership workshops and networked with healthcare professionals.