Home - Texas Health Occupations Association

2025 THOA SUMMER CONFERENCE IS JULY 20-23 IN COLLEGE STATION,TX

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR TEACHERS, EXHIBITORS, AND PRESENTERS.

TEACHERS, CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

EXHIBITORS, CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION

PRESENTERS, INVITATION TO BECOME A THOA PRESENTER AND PROPOSAL LINK

NEED A HOTEL? CLICK HERE FOR HOTEL INFORMATION

THOA SUE ALDER SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 31.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Welcome Letter from the President

Welcome to a new and exciting year with the Texas Health Occupations Association! As your President, I am thrilled to extend a heartfelt greeting and share my vision for our remarkable organization.

This summer, we kicked off the year with a fantastic summer conference that set a high bar for the months ahead. The enthusiasm, collaboration, and knowledge exchanged were truly inspiring. A standout moment was our keynote speaker’s powerful reminder to Tell Me Something Good. I invite you to embrace this spirit and keep the momentum going by sharing your own successes and creative ideas. Let us know about the great things you’re doing in your classrooms and how you’re making a difference in your students' lives. Your stories and experiences are invaluable and can inspire and support your fellow educators.

My mission for THOA is simple yet ambitious: I want us to be the premier resource that health science and science teachers turn to for lesson ideas, curriculum support, and creative inspiration. With over 3,000 high schools across Texas, we have an incredible opportunity to expand our reach and impact. It is my goal for every health science teacher in our state to recognize the immense value of being part of THOA and to know they are never alone in their efforts to educate and inspire their students.

Our association offers a wealth of resources, including lesson materials available on our drive and extensive knowledge and support from our fellow members. I encourage you to take full advantage of these tools and connect with your peers. In addition to our summer conference, we will also have a fall mini-conference, providing more opportunities for learning and networking.

Together, let’s build on the momentum of this summer and continue to make THOA a vital source of support and inspiration. Here’s to a successful year ahead, filled with growth, learning, and continued collaboration.

Thank you for being an integral part of our community. I look forward to working alongside each of you as we achieve great things together!

Warm regards,

Cheyenne Kirkpatrick
President, Texas Health Occupations Association

50 Years and Still Going Strong

Supporting Health Science Education in Texas

From the THOA, Inc. Executive Director, Jackie Uselton

From 1974 to 2024, my how time flies when you are having so much fun in Health Science Education!

The times may have changed but the basic goal is the same, to support Health Science Education and increase the number of healthcare providers in Texas. We start working with students in middle school and high school to plant the seeds for success in a very rewarding career. We support teachers in those efforts to get students started on the right path by developing leaders inside the classroom and in our communities.

The past 50 years we have led the way as a state to show the rest of the nation how to develop standards and now we have national health science standards as well as our beloved TEKS. Our predecessors did a great job laying the foundations we enjoy today.

Our partnership with HOSA to work together to begin the professional student organization that was much like our own teachers had in THOA was the impetus that has propelled our current curriculum and classroom practices into the highest levels of CTE coursework. I am so proud to be a Health Science Educator and I am so proud of the work that THOA, Inc. has done to prepare so many teachers for success in the classrooms across our state.

Here’s to another 50 years!!

THOA appreciates the partnership with the Texas A&M school of medicine. The Rural Practitioners conference was outstanding. Carol Brewer and Jackie Uselton are both dedicated to supporting Health Science education in rural areas of Texas.