Sofia Virzi
College: Western Kentucky University
Major: Education Leadership.
High School: Simon Kenton High School
Year of Scholarship: 2025
The Ohio Broadcasters Foundation is pleased to recognize Sofia Virzi as the recipient of our 2025 OAB Kids Scholarship! The daughter of Dan Virzi of CET (Cincinnati Educational Television), Cincinnati’s PBS affiliate, Sofia volunteered with CET for nearly a decade before graduating from Simon Kenton High School. She will be attending Western Kentucky University, where she plans to acquire a degree in Education Leadership.
Sofia’s history as a “PBS kid” undoubtedly inspired her pursuit of a career in education, which she would further develop through Northern Kentucky University’s Young Scholars Academy program. Through this program, she spent her junior and senior years taking a full curriculum of dual-credit college classes, earning an associate’s degree by the time of her high school prom.
Sofia excelled in the Young Scholars program, earning a place on the NKU President’s List all four semesters of her term, Straight A Honor Roll with a 4.0 GPA, was named Outstanding First Year Student, and earned an AP Scholar Award for her achievements.
“Through this program, I found my teaching voice, my confidence, my public speaking skills, and my friends,” Sofia says about the experience. “This is the program that I can directly credit for shaping me into the person I am today.”
Sofia also immersed herself in NKU culture outside the classroom, taking on leadership roles in Ambassadors programs, through which she would volunteer, plan and host events for campus and the community, and support new & incoming students.
In addition to the Young Scholars Academy, Sofia consistently pursued opportunities to explore her interest in education, including participating in a five-week Governor’s Scholars Program focused on public policy and its intersection with education and advocacy, spending a semester in Learning Grove’s NaviGo Education Scholar program gaining teaching skills and networking opportunities, and serving as a Leadership Intern at Camp Invention, where she led a class of kindergarten and first grade students as a teacher’s aide.
She’s served as a volunteer tutor, teacher helper at local elementary schools, and reading buddy at her library. She’s also worked as a nanny & babysitter for seven years across six different families.
Another major interest of Sofia’s is athletics – serving as team captain of her school’s cross country and track & field teams, running on the varsity team, and recently completing a half marathon, in addition to playing Powderpuff football. Clubs and extracurriculars were also a large part of Sofia’s high school career, with her involvement spanning from Student Council, on which she acted as Secretary and later, President, United Nations Club, Mock Trial, and National Honors Society to Photography, Environmental, Running, and Book Clubs.
With such a busy schedule, Sofia still made time to volunteer in her community. In addition to 10 years working with CET and PBS, Sofia had experience helping families in need as a Board Member for nonprofit Bake Me Home, shelving books at the Kenton County Public Library, working in her local food pantry, and instructing teens to earn their temporary driver’s licenses.
It is evident that Sofia is not only extremely hardworking and dedicated to her own goals and success, she is also committed to serving her community and making the world a better place. “My current dream is to stay here in the Cincinnati and NKY area to teach and to give back to the community that shaped me, into me,” she states, “my purpose on this planet is to help others.” We’re very confident you will, Sofia!
About the Ohio Broadcasters Foundation
The Ohio Broadcasters Foundation is the educational foundation affiliated with the Ohio Association of Broadcasters, the not-for-profit trade association of radio and television stations in Ohio. The OAB Kids Scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating high school senior planning to attend college next year whose parent is employed by an OAB member station.
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