Across the Downriver area, 117 students from eight high schools are proving that the power to save lives doesn’t have to wait until you’re a health care professional.
Through the Downriver Career Technical Consortium’s Health Science program, students once again partnered with HOSA – Future Health Professionals and Gift of Life Michigan in the annual Gift of Life HOSA Challenge. The statewide initiative blends education, community outreach, and advocacy for organ and tissue donation.
For one month each fall — this year, Oct. 6 through Nov. 7 — high school students across Michigan compete to raise awareness about organ donation and encourage community members to consider joining the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. For the students of DCTC HOSA, which represents eight Downriver-area schools (Grosse Ile, Trenton, Woodhaven, Flat Rock, Gibraltar Carlson, Southgate, Huron and Riverview), the challenge is both a competition and a calling.
“This challenge is one of the most meaningful service projects we take part in,” said Rachael Guzzardo, health sciences instructor at Grosse Ile High School. “On one hand, we’re bringing awareness to the critical need for organ donation in our community, and on the other, students are earning points that can help fund their HOSA chapter activities. But at the heart of it, they’re learning that they have the power to make a real difference, right now.”
Since DCTC’s first year participating in 2021, Guzzardo estimates that her students have helped register well over 200 new organ donors on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.
This year, the team earned 1,700 participation points, putting the group in 3rd place amongst participating clubs, and earning a $125 scholarship.
“That’s 200 people who made the choice to give the gift of life,” she said. “But the number of people our students have reached, through conversations, posters and community events, is far greater.”
For many students, the Gift of Life Challenge marks their first opportunity to connect health care education with real-world impact. Each student in the Health Sciences program participates in hands-on outreach. This includes a range of activities from creating informational posters with QR codes linking to the registry, to hosting tables in schools and community centers where they share accurate information about organ and tissue donation.
“Our students have put up posters all over their schools and in local businesses — grocery stores, gyms, even parents’ workplaces,” Guzzardo said. “We’ve also had HOSA chapters at Woodhaven and Flat Rock hosting informational tables, and Grosse Ile students are tabling next week. It’s amazing to see how the effort spreads across all the Downriver schools.”
For Grosse Ile junior Charlotte Donoghue, who’s now in her second year of the program, the project left a lasting impression from day one.
“I remember last year we had a presentation from Gift of Life Michigan, and it was fascinating,” she said. “They actually brought in models of organs, and you get to see firsthand what goes on and how organ donation affects people. It really showed me how much of an impact one person can make.”
Making the personal powerful
For some students, the cause is deeply personal.
Junior Paiten Christie joined the challenge inspired by her own family’s experience with organ donation.
“My aunt was an organ donor before she passed away,” she said. “Her organs went to almost eight different people. Knowing that she helped so many others live made me want to be part of this and continue that legacy.”
Others, like junior Laynie Gratz, saw their understanding evolve through education and awareness.
“When I first got my license, they asked if I wanted to be an organ donor, and I said ‘no,’” she said. “I just didn’t think about it deeply. But after learning more through HOSA, I decided to change it. Now I’m switching it to be a part of it, and I want to help others understand how important it really is.”
Junior Tania Bhatti shared a similar reflection.
“When I got my license, I didn’t understand what it meant to be an organ donor,” she said. “I just looked at my dad and said, ‘What?’ and decided not to. Now that I’ve learned more, I realize how important it is for people to really understand what it means — not just to get people to sign up, but to help them make an informed choice.”
That emphasis on understanding, Guzzardo said, is key.
“As a health care worker, I feel a responsibility to spread accurate information,” she explained. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Some people think that if you’re an organ donor, doctors won’t try to save you, which isn’t true. You can only donate organs if you’re on a ventilator and all life-saving measures have already been taken. It’s our duty to make sure our students and our community know the facts.”
Awareness, education and empathy
Throughout the challenge, DCTC students are finding creative ways to bring that message to life.
QR codes linking to their chapter’s personalized Gift of Life registration link appeared on posters and flyers throughout the community. Each registration made through that link added to the chapter’s point total — and more importantly, to Michigan’s growing donor registry.
“We’re not trying to tell everyone they have to be an organ donor,” Guzzardo said. “We just want people to have the information to make that decision for themselves.”
For the students, the experience has been eye-opening — and, in some cases, transformative.
“This program really shows high school students how important organ donation can be,” Donoghue said. “So many people are getting their licenses right now, and they can easily sign up to help others. Knowing what you can do at this age is really empowering.”
Bhatti agreed.
“It’s such a powerful thing,” she said. “Even if something tragic happens to you, you can still do so much good after that. Who wouldn’t want to help someone like that?”
Gratz added that the project offers a sense of purpose.
“It’s a good feeling to know you’re helping people — even now, before you’re officially in the health care field. It’s like taking your first step toward making a difference.”
For Guzzardo, watching those moments of realization is one of the best parts of teaching.
“There are so many lightbulb moments in this program,” she said. “When students realize how many people are waiting for transplants, more than 2,500 in Michigan alone. And that they can do something about it right now, it’s incredible. They see that their actions, their voices, matter.”
Building a legacy of compassion
The DCTC HOSA chapter has built a strong tradition of success in the Gift of Life Challenge, but for Guzzardo and her students, the real reward isn’t the competition or the scholarship money; it’s the lives they’re helping to save.
“This challenge teaches our students not just about health care, but about humanity,” Guzzardo said. “They learn that even small actions, hanging a poster, having a conversation, choosing ‘yes’ at the Secretary of State, can ripple outward in ways they may never fully see.”
The DCTC HOSA students hope to inspire more Downriver residents to consider giving the ultimate gift.
“Knowing that we can help even one person — that’s huge,” Christie said. “We’re still in high school, but we’re already making a difference.”
To learn more or to join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry through DCTC HOSA’s campaign, visit golm.org/go/dctchosa.
