- July 15, 2025
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Lakewood Ranch resident Peter Hotaling, 13, dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon because he is fascinated by how the brain works.
He would like to help people who have tumors, head injuries or any other brain-specific problem that might occur.
“It's always been so unique and complicated, and it's like a puzzle with a million pieces,” Hotaling said.
Hotaling represented R. Dan Nolan Middle School at the Health Occupations Students of America International Conference from June 18-22. The conference was held at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee with over 14,000 students represented.
He competed in the Health Career Preparation category against 23 other students from around the world. Part of the competition was to write a speech about goals and how HOSA can a student achieve those goals. Hotaling's speech was rated by judges, who eventually placed him third in the middle school division.
Hotaling said he first became interested in the medical profession when his father, Patrick Hotaling, had surgery for an appendicitis in 2022. His father hadn't been feeling well and he went to the emergency room. Immediate surgery was needed to remove his appendix, which was in danger of bursting.
“I was like, ‘Oh, they saved his life,’” Peter Hotaling said.
Peter Hotaling discovered this “whole new world” of studies through HOSA. In a premedical class at Nolan, he said he was given a book that made an immediate impact.
“Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story” was written by Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who performed high-profile surgeries throughout his career, including the successful separation of conjoined twins on Sept. 6, 1987.
“He was a legend in the neurosurgical field, so he kind of inspired me to (pursue) that sort of place in the medical field,” Peter Hotaling said.
In HOSA, students participate in leadership and teamwork activities, speeches and games such as medical Jeopardy!. Hotaling competed in various competitions during his sixth and seventh grade years and feels like he has grown through those experiences.
Those competitions made him nervous in sixth grade, but he found a sense of calm during his seventh-grade competitions. He said he felt more prepared and confident.
His mother, Nicol Hotaling, agreed his confidence improved.
She said hard work and preparation compensated for anything he was lacking before and allowed him to push forward at those times when the competition judges would send him "daggers" with their harsh facial expressions.
Pamela Rahn, the pre-med teacher at Nolan, attended the HOSA competition in Tennessee, but couldn't stay for the awards to be announced. Before leaving, she told Hotaling that she knew he would earn a top-10 award.
After the ceremony, Peter Hotaling enjoyed telling Rahn that she was right.
“She helped me through a lot,” Peter Hotaling said. “She motivated me. It was sort of like tough love.”
“I'm very proud of Peter,” Rahn said. “I think he's going to do extremely well no matter what he wants to do. He's going to be a very successful, young man.”
Rahn sent out an email to fellow Nolan staff members and said no one was surprised he achieved that level of success.
Patrick Hotaling recalled the disappointed look on his son’s face last year when he didn’t place. This year, when they announced Peter’s third-place award, his father shed a few tears.
“Just knowing all the commitment that he had this year and seeing that come to fruition was outstanding and certainly joyful,” Patrick Hotaling said.
Nicol Hotaling watched the competition online.
“I was crying,” Nicol Hotaling said. “Deep down, I knew he was going place.”
On top of his desire to become a surgeon, Peter Hotaling would like to invent some sort of gadget to assist in surgeries.
“I think it would be nice for some sort of new technology to increase the odds of somebody living," Peter Hotaling said. "You have somebody's life in your hands. You want the best possible outcome.”
Patrick Hotaling said his son has had the drive to be successful in life, even at his young age.
“I was passionate about medicine growing up, I just didn't have the confidence he does to be able to step up and do that,” Patrick Hotaling said.
Patrick Hotaling said if his son pursues becoming a neurosurgeon, he will be a humble leader because his reward will come by simply healing people.
Nicol Hotaling said she is impressed with her son's dreams.
“I think it's great that he is interested in (the medical field) so much, that he's continuing, even though it's hard,” she said. Nicol Hotaling said. “Even though it was nerve wracking — he still is moving forward and pursuing it.”
Peter Hotaling plans to apply to be a regional representative for HOSA.
“I think it's a big responsibility, but I think I could do it,” Peter Hotaling said. “I think that will give me more of a chance to become a leader.”
Elizabeth Sabodash, 14, and Evelyn Burge, 13, also represented Nolan Middle School at the conference. They competed as a team in the Exploring Medical Innovations category against 28 teams worldwide. They placed first in the state of Florida, but did not place in the top 10 among all students.
