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If school opens and school sports go on as usual, Miami Palmetto High School rising senior Sofia Vinueza could be the sole female on the Palmetto Golf team.
“I started playing golf in the middle of my sophomore year taking private lessons and joining the PGA Junior Golf League,” she says.
Last year, she decided to try out and made the team – she was one of three girls on the team.
“A lot of the time I was the only girl at matches. In some ways, I’m used to it, because growing up my first best friend was a boy.”
COVID-19 made practicing difficult but she says she’s been okay because it’s been fun hanging around with her parents and her brother.
Most summers, Vinueza volunteered at the Bet Shira Camp Gila.
“I went to pre-school there. I had so much fun there,” she says. “Especially hanging out with the little kids.”
Most of the time she worked with the one and two-year-olds.
“I read with them, do fun learning and summer activities, and sometimes have to change their diapers,” she says.
This is the first summer since 2015 that she hasn’t spent at Bet Shira. This summer her plans called for taking a dual enrollment class in finance at Miami-Dade College. That tracks with her plan to take business and finance in college.
As with many Florida high school students, she hopes to go to the University of Florida for College. Her other top choices include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she has been nominated for the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship, the University of Pennsylvania and the Kelley Business School at Indiana University. Sofia has also been nominated for the POSSE Scholarship Program. Where she goes will be heavily influenced by finances. She does not want to leave college with large debts.
She attended a summer business program this June at the Kelley Business School that is usually done in person but was held online this year.
At Palmetto, Vinueza is on the student council. She’s been a cabinet member since her freshman year but this year she is applying for a senate position.
She’s a member of the National Honor Society and a member of the Health Information Project (HIP).
“It’s an amazing program,” she says.
Although membership is limited to juniors and seniors, she was able to volunteer her sophomore year. This past school year, they were able to finish the health modules before school ended so abruptly.
Vinueza is the president of the Newspaper Club which allows her to recruit new members at the activities fair and write stories for the newspaper. She especially loves taking pictures.
Outside of school she’s been on the Pinecrest Youth Advisory Council since 2015. Last year she was secretary.
One of Vinueza’s important volunteer commitments is to Relay for Life. Vinueza has participated since fifth grade.
In 2019, she attended Metro Town, a weeklong summer camp at St. Thomas University.
The camp brings together teens from all over Miami-Dade County. The teens engage in activities to help improve understanding of issues surrounding diversity and privilege.
Initially she didn’t want to go but once there found it illuminating and helpful.
“Not only did I learn how lucky I am to have the opportunities I do, I learned that we all have more in common than we do in differences,” she says. “I am now more aware of my privilege and feel a bigger responsibility to use it to help others whose voices may not always be heard.”
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
