MENOMONIE - UW-Stout's Sophie Moran (Shakopee, Minn.) is the recipient of the 2024 WHG Humanitarian Award, an award sponsored by the Waznik Heike Group, that calls attention to and recognizes the student-athletes who put sports into proper perspective, who encompass teamwork, campus and community in their everyday lives and put others ahead of themselves.
The award has been presented annually since 2012 by WHG Waznik Heike Group of Menomonie.
Moran, a member of the Blue Devil women's basketball team, is majoring in health, wellness & fitness has been involved in both the UW-Stout and Menomonie area communities.
She is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee which help organize events like campus and community clean-up, trick or treating for canned good, and Kids Night Out for the Community.
She is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and started and co-leads a group for female athletes. As well as, Athletes Intervarsity worship and ministry, Cru student organization, Athletes in Action, and UW-Stout's Service club and the Pre-health society club.
Moran is a volunteer coach in basketball and track and field with Special Olympics and is a coach with Twin Cites Parks and Recreation.
Moran has volunteered with Feed My Starving Children, Rotary Club Meal Pak-A-Thon, Girls on the Run 5k, Cedarbrook Church "CBKids", guest reader at Wakanda and River Heights Elementary Schools. Volunteer and lead presentations to local high school classes who take field trips to our cadaver lab. Special Education Extended School Year Paraprofessional.
Locally she is a frequent participant in academic workshops at the Menard Center for the study of Institutions and Innovations and is a member of Red Cedar community meditation group. Attended the - We ARE (Accessible Recreation for Everyone Carnival) and International Night community event as well as the Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED community training.
"WHG is proud to recognize student-athletes who put sports and life into proper perspective, include campus and community into their everyday lives and put others ahead of themselves," Brad Waznik, a financial advisor from WHG said. "We acknowledge student-athletes with character, who care and believe in helping others and who work hard at making our world a better place."
"By placing a spotlight on these individuals," Waznik continued, "we are not only acknowledging their accomplishments, but we strive to magnify their ability to inspire everyone in this room, our youth and the community as a whole."
Also nominated for the award were Lauren Arenz (women's basketball), Isabel Bratley (dance), Abbey Filipiak (women's golf), Amanda Geisen (women's basketball), Anna Hansen (volleyball), Ashley Jacobson (Softball), Allison Letcher (women's basketball), Aliyah Sherman (dance), Gervase Thompson (football), and Gabrielle Winstead (gymnastics).
Waznik Heike Group, LLC is an independent financial services firm that specializes in wealth accumulation, conservation, and distribution strategies. The firm was founded in 2004 in Menomonie, Wisconsin with the vision of improving people's lives by offering great financial advice at a fair price.
Humanitarian Award Recipients
2012 - Heather Harmeyer, gymnastics
2013 - Josh Peterson, football
2014 - Sam Hastings, softball
2015 - Adam Widder, baseball
2016 - Nicole Rogers, softball
2017 - Kelly Huseman, gymnastics
2018 - Etienne Roy, hockey
2019 - Jessica DuVal, volleyball
2020 - Renee Murphy, softball
2021 - Liz Oswald women's basketball
2022 - Mikala Bugge, gymnastics
2023 - Kelly Beck, softball
2024 - Sophie Moran, women's basketball
