Northwest senior works to teach students safe driving while excelling in the classroom

CINCINNATI - This week, we head to Northwest High School to highlight our student of the week.

Christina Sorentino strives to challenge herself in and out of the classroom.

"She's definitely a student that would be looked up to by other students, not only in the classroom but in the community and the younger students in the building know she's a hard worker and aspire to be like her," said Emily Downie, a teacher at Colerain High School.

Sorentino travels to Colerain High School to take certain advanced placement courses not offered at Northwest High School.

Here’s a little of what Sorentino’s nominator Leslie Andrew of Northwest High School had to say about her.

"Academically, [Sorentino] has accepted the challenge of a most demanding selection of courses. She has taken honors/advanced placement level courses each year in high school… She is ranked fourth in her class of 240 with an un-weighted grade point average of 4.0 and an excellent ACT score of 30," Andrew said.

Sorentino volunteers in the Driving Angels organization. Driving Angels works to teach students to drive safely and know the deadly consequences of not paying attention behind the wheel.

"If you watch their reactions they get the shock value of 'Oh they're being serious, this really could result in something bad. I'm not as good of a driver as I thought I was,'" said Sorentino.

Andrew says Sorentino has a strong desire to make a difference in people's lives.

"She spends time working at a local food pantry, and supporting carnivals and holiday parties for underprivileged children in a nearby neighborhood," Andrew said. "Staff members as well as fellow students admire [Sorentino]’s persistence and positive attitude, her ability to inspire others by example."