For Portage High School senior Hannah Medina, helping the less fortunate is a way of life. With two charities, membership to a student-run medical organization and participation in various school groups under her belt, Medina truly proves herself to be a Portage Life in the Spotlight.
It all started when Medina’s aunt was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005. Wanting to help after the devastating diagnosis, her family became involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in 2009 and can often be seen heading benefit nights at the Portage Buffalo Wild Wings, among other places.
For Medina’s own special contribution, she began creating flower pens out of different colored duct tape, which she sells though Facebook for three dollars apiece. Through this alone, she has raised over $600 for Leukemia and Lymphoma.
The other charity Medina is involved with, Destiny Rescue, is a non-profit organization that helps women and children escape human trafficking. With help from her school and Portage First United Methodist Church, she sells jewelry made by the people Destiny Rescue helped to save.
“It hit home with me at church camp one year with a few of my friends. We got involved in it, and I’ve raised $3,000 for that organization alone,” Medina said.
For her work with Destiny Rescue, Medina, who wishes to become a doctor, was awarded the Barbara James Service Award at the state conference for Heath Occupations Students of America, or HOSA.
HOSA is post-secondary and -collegiate organization lead by students who plan to go into the medical field. At the state assembly, students competed in various medical challenges, such as CPR training and medical spelling, in hopes of winning scholarships and making it to the national level. Medina participated in medical photography and medical spelling.
On top of all her competing, Medina ran for Indiana State Vice President, winning after long days of campaigning and public speaking.
“It was hectic doing the campaigning, and the awards, and scripting, and being on stage, and practicing your lines and everything. Overall, it was really fun, though,” Medina said.
Thanks to her new position, she was able to attend the national conference in Nashville. Over 8,000 people were in attendance. Because the conference was so large, not everyone could fit into the hotel’s main conference room, and HOSA had to put TV monitors into smaller rooms so that everyone could view what was going on. However, the building where the conference was held was not small.
“I got lost several times,” Medina laughed.
All fifty states were represented, plus Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C, Dominican Republic, and Guam.
“I collected a pin from every state, which was actually really hard to do,” Medina recalled. “Washington, D.C. only brought 200 pins for 8,000 people.”
Recently, Medina was selected to travel to Washington, D.C. in February to represent Indiana to meet nationally known medical figures.
Medina also participates in National Honor Society, varsity soccer, varsity track, technical theater, the Portage HOSA chapter and photography. She plays piano and guitar.
After high school, Medina plans to attend Indiana University to major in nursing in with a minor in psychology in hopes of becoming an obstetrician. Her seven siblings are her inspiration for joining the field.
“I feel like that’s my calling,” Medina said.