Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Picture of the Day: My niece Sophia, all grown up and going places

Sophia and her years of study at Slippery Rock University

It's been awhile since I blogged about my niece Sophia--3 years to be exact, when I wrote about attending her high school graduation in May 2023 (click here to see) and how impressed I was with her speech.  She was in the top 2 of her class.

Since then, Soph's went on to Slippery Rock University and somehow while working afterschool jobs and meeting stringent scholarship requirements, managed to stay on the Dean's List -and- the fast track, completing her undergrad studies a year early.  She'll receive her bachelors degree when she dons her cap & gown next spring.

But this August, she begins graduate school where she'll get her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 3 years.  (You can't touch that, AI!)  I'm so proud of this young lady I could bust.

As of this writing, she (along with 20 of her classmates) are en route to Italy to tour the Coliseum and the Vatican in Rome-- they're flying there as I type this.  Talk about going places!

Ti voglio bene, Sophia! 

28 comments:

  1. What an exciting trip for your niece! Such a lovely young lady and smart, too. I know your sister Shawn and her husband have to be so proud of their daughter. ~Pen

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    1. Thank you Pen! She really is an awesome young person--she had her nose in a book even before starting pre-K. And yes her parents are super-duper proud of her :^)

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  2. Very impressive. Good for her and thank you for sharing good news about a bright young woman who is on her way.

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    1. That's very nice of you, thank you dkzody 🙂

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  3. What an impressive young lady! I've been amazed by the various OTs and PTs I've run into with my mom and my grandsons. They do incredible work. I hope Sophia loves Italy as much as I do. The sights and food are top tier!

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    1. Thanks very much Margaret! She's already sent a couple pics which I'm saving for another post. Very, very proud of her--she worked her tail off to go on this trip. And that is good to know about OTs, I know little about the profession except it requires all sorts of education.

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  4. It is hard to believe it has been 3 years since she graduated high school! That girl is on fire!

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  5. Thank you for updating us about Sophia. I've wondered how she was doing. It's great to hear she's still doing so well. Such an impressive young lady, you have every reason to be proud! I hope she has a wonderful trip!

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    1. Bobi, thank you so much! I do know she's having a great trip, she sent my sister a couple photos earlier from Rome, I'm looking forward to sharing them here. :^)

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  6. Oh my goodness, if only I were 60 years younger. Oh well.
    Well done, Sophia.

    Slippery Rock University? What sort of name is that? Ours have rather prosaic names like Melbourne University (technically named the University of Melbourne, but no one calls it that), Monash University, Sydney University and so on.

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    1. Haha thanks Peter--well, Slippery Rock is the name of the small town where her university is located, just not as big as Melbourne or Sydney! But the school has a very good reputation and is known for their studies in physical & occupational therapies. What got her interested in that field of study though is beyond me!

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  7. What an uplifting and inspiring report! We read so much about young people these days who squander what they could do and be. Then there are those like Sophia who make the most of their lives in a positive way. I love to read about that! By the way, I’ve visited Slippery Rock as our son attended and graduated from nearby Grove City College. A very pleasant part of the state with several excellent, small colleges.

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    1. Don thank you so much! Sadly you're very right about many of today's young people, just watched a news report about downtown Pittsburgh being under siege from thousands of kids, its unreal. I almost feel we won the lottery with Sophia. Gee Don, that's wonderful about your son and Grove City College, I know a couple people who went there, it's beautiful. You must be very proud of your son. 🙂

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  8. Wow Doug, that is so incredible! Yay Sophia! We all have watched her grow up into a fantastic young lady.❤️

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    1. Robin, thanks so much. I don't want to sound wishy-washy, but your sweet comment really put a lump in my throat! ❤️

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  9. Thanks for the update on your niece - clearly her family has lots of reasons to be proud of her!

    Ceci

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    1. Thank you very much Ceci, we sure are. Sophia is one in a million. :^)

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  10. Wow! She really is going places! And making her family proud in the process. :) This is really lovely. Thank you for sharing her with us!

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    1. Thanks very much Jennifer! She's been sending my sister pics from Rome, I'm still in shock she’s really there 🙂

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  11. Sorry I'm late commenting, Dug... sometimes the days get the better of me. But your niece, Sophia is a lovely young woman... and seems to be doing very well. Know you are proud of her (and should be). Hope she has a wonderful time in Italy and that you share more of her pictures with us.

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    1. Thank you Rian, and you have nothing to apologize for. I admit I was hoping you'd see this and comment, but I know you're dealing with some issues. I very much hope you're doing better, and yes I would be more than happy to share some photos of Sophia's trip :^)

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  12. That is one outstanding young woman! I can feel how proud you are of your niece! What a fun trip (and she deserves a break). So wonderful that she has been successful at college and now a doctorate student, too! It gives me hope for our future that these wonderful young people exist.

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    1. That's very kind of you, thank you Miss Merry! 😊 I hope you're doing ok.

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  13. Bust your buttons Dug! Sophia is definitely a very smart young woman and I offer my congratulations to her too. And what a wonderful reward for all her hard work, with a trip to Italy!

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    1. Thanks Maebeme, much appreciated! She's in Venice right now, has sent my sister (her mom) some beautiful pics. The young lady blows me away. :^)

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  14. Congratulations to Sophia (and you by default as a relative, Dug - lol)! She deserves to be proud of herself. I know Slippery Rock - lived not far from there. As a person participating in therapy (PT though, had OT at one time too) for MS, I can attest to the good work they do. May she (live long and) prosper! She's well on her way...a self starter. And Sophia is a perfect name to have in Italy. Kim in PA

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    1. Kim, thanks so much. You always write the most thoughtful things, and this meant a lot to read. I hope you're doing well, and I hope she sees this. 🙂

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Thanks for taking the time to comment, it means a lot to hear from you.