Health Administration Student Wins State BPA Title, Turns Internship into Career Opportunity

Article presented by Pickaway-Ross CTC Adult Education

CHILLICOTHE – What started as a chance opportunity last year has turned into a major achievement and a promising career start for a Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center student.

Melissa Hice, a senior in the Health Administration program from Paint Valley, recently earned first place at the Ohio Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference in Health Insurance and Medical Billing, qualifying her to advance to the national competition in Nashville later this year.

But for Hice, the path to the podium didn’t start with confidence. It started with curiosity.

Last year, she qualified for the BPA competition under unexpected circumstances.

“I didn’t really expect to go last year,” she said. “I think someone wasn’t able to go, so that’s how I got in. It was kind of just for fun.”

This year was different.

With a year of experience behind her, she approached the competition with a new level of focus.

“I took it a lot more seriously this year, so I’m really excited to go to Nationals.”

Her instructor and BPA advisor, Ms. Darcie Scott, has seen that shift firsthand. “Melissa is the type of student every teacher hopes to have,” she said. “She genuinely wants to learn and spends any free time she has studying for certifications or for the BPA competitions.”

That additional experience made a difference, but so did something else: real-world training.

During the fall, Hice completed an internship with Hopewell Health, where she gained hands-on experience working within the medical billing and revenue cycle system. That opportunity allowed her to work with real medical claims and better understand how the entire process works behind the scenes in healthcare administration.

“I think it helped me learn a lot more terminology and understand it better, and how the whole cycle works,” she said.

Her performance during that internship quickly made an impression.

After completing her placement, Hopewell Health offered Hice a position as a Temp Revenue Cycle Specialist, turning her internship into a real, paid career opportunity before she even graduates.

Terah Ramsey, Director of Billing at Hopewell Health Centers, spoke about Melissa’s impact on their team:

“Melissa has been an outstanding addition to Hopewell Health Centers. From the moment she joined us as an intern, she demonstrated a strong work ethic, curiosity, and a willingness to learn the complexities of healthcare administration and medical billing. She quickly picked up on processes that many adults struggle to understand and has continued to grow both professionally and personally during her time here. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch her confidence and skill set develop, and she has become a valued member of our team.”

For her, the job represents more than just employment. It’s the beginning of a long-term career.

“I’m looking forward to getting more experience, getting my foot in the door, and hopefully building my career as fast as I can,” she said.

When she first applied to Pickaway-Ross, she knew she wanted to pursue a career that would provide stability and opportunity, but she wasn’t sure exactly what path she would take. She didn’t even know if it would be healthcare. Health Administration was her first choice, but she also applied to Electrical and Cosmetology because she just knew she wanted a career. Through the Health Administration program, she discovered a field that sparked her interest.

Now, she has a clear direction.

“I know that I want to become a certified coding professional,” she said. “I just find it interesting how everything works, and it’s something I can keep learning about for a long time.”

Her story highlights the impact of hands-on learning and work-based opportunities available through career and technical education. By gaining experience in a real healthcare environment while still in high school, she was able to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to succeed both in competition and in the workplace.

And now, with a state championship under her belt and a career already underway, she’s preparing for her next challenge on the national stage.

“Health Administration has had a second-place finish at the State competition before, but we have never had a first-place finish,” Scott noted. “Melissa winning her competition is wonderful for her and for this program.”

About the photo: Melissa Hice and classmate Mariah Barrera. Photos submitted by PRCTC

She won’t be making that trip to Nationals alone though.

Her classmate in the Health Administration program, Mariah Barrera, will also be representing Pickaway-Ross at the National BPA competition — and for her, the trip to nationals is also becoming familiar territory. This will be her second consecutive year qualifying, this time earning a Top 10 finish in Medical Coding after competing in a different category last year. Mariah also completed an internship with Hopewell Health, where she likewise left a lasting impression. Ramsey noted that Mariah “completed time with us as an intern, and we were very impressed with her dedication and professionalism.”

Ramsey summed up what these partnerships mean beyond the classroom: “Students like Melissa and Mariah represent the future of healthcare support services, and programs like yours play an important role in preparing them for real-world experience. Hopewell Health Centers strongly believes in investing in local students and creating opportunities for them to gain hands-on experience in healthcare careers. These partnerships not only benefit the students, but they also strengthen our workforce and our communities.”

“They are both just phenomenal students. Those that teachers love to have because they love to learn. We are all just so proud of them both.” said Ms. Darcie Scott, who will get to make the trip with them in May.

Together, the two students will carry their program to Nationals, proving that Pickaway-Ross’s Health Administration program is consistently producing students who are ready to compete — and succeed — at the highest level.