Milestones — Aug. 27, 2025

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Students excel at HOSA

Sequim Middle School student Eleanor Jones recently won Second Place for Healthy Living in the Middle School Division of the international Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) competition. Jones was among seven Sequim students who attended the event in Nashville, Tennessee, with Sequim Middle School science teacher Renee Colwill serving as coach and leader on the trip.

The other students were Bee Mao, Terra Stratford, Kara Hamilton, Emma Miller, Grace Dormer and Ahrya Klinger.

The event drew 14,000 students from around the world and included participation in health education and leadership-related workshops in addition to competitions.

According to Colwill, Jones kept a daily gratitude journal for nine months and prepared a portfolio with evidence supporting its beneficial impact on her life and current research about the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal.

Mao and Stratford qualified in the top 10 for a team event called Dynamic Decisions, Colwill said.

Bill Whitten, chair of the HOSA advisory committee, expressed pride in the students’ achievements and said that Colwill and Sequim High School science teacher Laura Gould “are doing such a fantastic job on this CTE program.”

Jones earns CFO label

Battalion Chief Elliott Jones of Clallam County Fire District 3 has successfully earned the prestigious Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation, awarded by the Commission on Professional Credentialing® (CPC®). The achievement places Jones among an elite group of only 4,008 CFOs worldwide.

The CFO designation is a voluntary program that distinguishes leaders who excel across seven key components: experience, education, professional development, professional contributions, association membership, community involvement, and technical competence.

Candidates undergo a rigorous peer review to ensure they meet CPC®’s demanding standards.

“Chief Jones’s achievement highlights his solid commitment to excellence in fire and emergency services,” Fire Chief Justin Grider stated in an announcement about the milestone. “His dedication to ongoing personal and professional growth sets a standard for others in our community.”