Sophia Rhoades is a 16-year-old, born and raised in Latham, Ohio, who has joined the Chronicle as a sports reporter. Currently a junior at Western High School, Sophia started the College Credit Plus program in her sophomore year to get a head start with Shawnee State University's pre-veterinarian degree in hopes of becoming an equine vet.

Sophia has a lot of hobbies, almost all revolving around sports.

"I am big into sports," she said. Sophia plays soccer, basketball, softball, cheer and track and has a history in horse showing. Her favorite sport is soccer, but when the soccer season ends, it is basketball. Sophia has achieved a lot at the young age of 16, but she says being on the student council and becoming first-team all-conference in soccer are what she is most proud of.

Sophia also has a lot of travel experience, having visited almost all states in the continental U.S. as well as the U.K., where her grandparents currently stay. She says she has avoided the northeast U.S., however,  because it is "too cold" and she prefers being down south in locations like southern Texas near Corpus Christi or Arizona.

She describes herself as "joyful, extroverted and comedic" as well as extremely outgoing, talkative and "always happy." She prides herself in refusing to hold grudges and refusing to quit.

By the time Sophia graduates from Western High School, she said she hopes to have earned her associate degree from Shawnee. From there, her plan is to pursue her bachelor's degree at The Ohio State University. Once her education comes to an end, Sophia wants to move to Texas and pursue a career as an equine veterinarian.