Sophia is a proud graduate of Martha Layne Collins High School. She truly embodies what it means to LOVE BIG and serve others. In addition to filling blessing boxes with food and necessities around Shelby County, she has hosted multiple food and clothing drives. In 2023 she founded “Warm Our Winters” and collected and distributed over 300 coats to her community. Additionally, Sophia is deeply involved with Awake Ministries, a Christian based residential addiction recovery center and food bank in Shelby County. She was recently part of a volunteer initiative that spent hours listening and transcribing stories of hardship, recovery, and redemption. These stories are being compiled into a book and will soon be published and sold at The Paddock, a local Shelbyville coffee shop. All proceeds will go to Awake Ministries. Sophia was awarded a $10,000 scholarship and will attend Transylvania University in the fall. She plans to pursue a degree in veterinary science and will also be competing on the university’s cross country and track team. She hopes to one day work in some of Kentucky’s rural areas that lack essential veterinary care.
Sofia is a hard-working, resilient young woman accustom to a life full of change. To say that she has a passion for people would be an understatement. Placed with a loving foster family at a young age, Sophia not only adapted, she flourished. She became an advocate for young foster children, even encouraging her own family to expand their already very large household. During her high school tenure she was a competitive volleyball player, studied Spanish and became a successful entrepreneur and community service organizer. In 2022 she started her own baking business selling homemade baked goods all across Kentucky. She raised thousands of dollars and put the proceeds back into her community to help fund various local service initiatives. Sofia’s love and compassion for people is fueled by her faith. She is the Youth Worship Leader at Shelby Christian Church where she leads services for over a thousand people every week. Sofia is a 2026 graduate of Martha Layne Collins High School and was awarded a $10,000 scholarship. She plans to study medicine at the University of Louisville in the fall. She hopes to one day work with Doctors Without Borders and care for people all across the globe.
“To our community Avery was more than just another student, he connected the lost, forgotten, outcast, popular, cool kids, losers, those in need, those in crisis. He impacted everyone he crossed paths with. "
