Coronado High School senior Sofia Zamora has been named the 2025 Teen of Impact by the American Heart Association (AHA) of San Diego, following a successful nine-week campaign that recognized her commitment to heart health advocacy, education, and fundraising.
The AHA’s Teen of Impact initiative encourages young leaders to improve heart health in their communities through education and fundraising efforts. Zamora’s efforts focused on educating students at Village Elementary by increasing awareness, and raising money for life-saving research.
As part of her outreach, Zamora partnered with the Coronado Fire Department to bring CPR training to fourth and fifth grade students at Village Elementary School. “I had worked with the AHA at Village last year during the Kids Heart Challenge assembly,” she said, “so this year I was able to return and build on that experience by teaching students about the heart and the importance of developing heart-healthy habits.”
To support AHA research, Zamora organized a raffle, coordinated restaurant give-back nights, and reached out to friends and family through personal appeals. Her efforts raised $4,000 for the organization.
Though her official campaign began in February, Zamora’s interest in cardiology started years earlier. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and will be attending USC in the fall as a pre-med student.
“My goal of becoming a cardiologist was inspired by my grandfather’s heart condition,” she explained. “I was able to be involved in his care and was fortunate to shadow his doctor, Dr. Andrew Ho, in Temecula. That experience had a huge impact on me.”
Zamora expanded on that early exposure with a research internship at the UCSD School of Medicine, where she studied pulmonary arterial hypertension during her sophomore year. “It helped me understand the scientific side of cardiology, complementing the hands-on patient experience I had with Dr. Ho.”
She continued her hands-on learning with a shadowing opportunity at Sharp Coronado Hospital under Dr. Thomas Diggs, and further deepened her knowledge through the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Pathway program at CHS, taught by Arielle Luna. “The year long classes, over term 1 and 2, confirmed for me that I want to pursue a career in medicine.”
Zamora credits her mother, Edith Salas, as a major influence. “My mom has always motivated me to work hard and give back. She comes from an immigrant family and has built a successful business, Salas Properties, that has always supported our schools, sports, and the community. She’s always been there for me, as a role model and positive influence.”
A lifelong Coronado resident, Zamora attended Graham Memorial Preschool and has been part of the Coronado Unified School District since kindergarten. With her sights set on becoming the first doctor in her family, she’s excited for what lies ahead.
“USC has been my dream school for a long time, it’s where my mom went, and I’m looking forward to continuing the family legacy. I feel like I’ve had enough experience in the medical field and I know this path is right for me,” she said.
