Huntington Beach High’s Sophia Cendro ready for emergencies

Sophia Cendro loves being at the beach.

She likes to surf, but she also gets paid to be there as a Huntington Beach City Lifeguard. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, the 18-year-old Huntington Beach High School senior has been picking up shifts on the sand.

“I want to stay here as long as I can,” she said. “I love this job.”

Cendro spent four years in the city’s junior lifeguard program before becoming a certified lifeguard as a sophomore in 2018. She said she hopes to be promoted to Lifeguard II this summer. To that end, she took night classes last fall in pursuit of her Emergency Medical Technician certification.

“I think that’s what’s gotten her through this [pandemic] — working and being down at the pier,” said Cendro’s mother, Wendy. “She’s been there during a lot of the protesting, working the beach and just keeping people safe. She’s doing what she loves during this time and is able to tell people about the distancing. She’s being a representative of how to get through this COVID-19.”

Sophia developed the Trauma For Teachers training as a senior, drawing from her lifeguard training. The program took months to develop after she approached her supervisor, Doug Leach, a marine safety officer for the city of Huntington Beach.

In January, about 200 members of Huntington Beach High faculty and staff learned the basics of bleed control and CPR.

“She was able to take her idea and put it into action, coordinating a bunch of different entities with the fire department, paramedics and working with the local police department, not to mention her school district,” Leach said. “Absolutely, those are leadership qualities. That’s an efficient leader, right, when you can get everyone in the same room talking to each other.

“From what I’ve seen of her, anything she does, she does with passion. She puts a lot of effort into it. She’s where the rubber meets the road; she gets things done.”

Huntington Beach High School senior Sophia Cendro is headed to the University of Hawaii next year to study nursing.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Sophia, who is headed to the University of Hawaii next year to study nursing, said that putting the training together was a special experience. Being in the Connections club on campus, advised by teacher Rose Haunreiter, for three years has also been meaningful. There, Sophia has worked with students who have social cognition issues, following hours of training.

“She’s phenomenal,” said Haunreiter, who has been a teacher at the school for more than 30 years. “She’s one of the most intelligent, passionate individuals. She doesn’t just talk, but is full of action ... She’s probably one of the most incredible young ladies I’ve ever worked with.”

Sophia Cendro is excited to graduate; Huntington Beach is holding a drive-through graduation on Wednesday. Even with her extracurricular activities, she has maintained a 4.27 weighted grade-point average for the Oilers.

Sophia said she is following in the footsteps of her older sisters, both of whom also graduated from Huntington Beach High. Both attend USC, where Samantha is a senior studying aerospace engineering and Stephanie is a junior studying public policy and business.

Sophia was recently honored in a virtual ceremony as this year’s Distinguished Oiler Award winner. She said both of her older sisters were finalists for the award, which is chosen by staff, as well.

“That was really special for me and my family,” Sophia said. “It was really special for all three of us to have made it to the top five ... I don’t know if they hear it enough, but I’m so thankful for my family.”

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