In a few short months, Odessa High School senior Rigoberto Mendoza will become the first in his family to attend college. He says he may major in biology. Or he may go the pre-med track. He adds he has always been interested in pathology (the study of diseases). Whatever he decides to pursue he will do it at one of his dream schools — Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. — with a full scholarship, thanks to the QuestBridge National College Match.
“The day that the Match Day came I was very overwhelmed because this is like a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Mendoza said in a news release.
“I found about [QuestBridge] through a fellow classmate of mine that matched two years ago,” Mendoza explained. “I got really impressed with getting a full-ride through this program for low income students.”
The QuestBridge National College Match is a national program that connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to top colleges. Out of more than 16,500 applicants this year, QuestBridge’s 45 college partners matched with 1,674 Finalists, who are recognized as Match Scholarship Recipients. The Match Scholarship is worth more than $200,000 and includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses. It does not require parental contributions or student loans.
According to a QuestBridge release, this year’s outstanding high school seniors have an average unweighted GPA of 3.93, and 92% are in the top 10% of their graduating class. Financially, 95% come from a household with an annual income under $65,000, and 87% qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. The majority of these new QuestBridge Scholars — 81% — are among the first generation in their families to attend a four-year college in the United States.
The rigorous application process allows the student to rank up to 12 colleges. Mendoza described it as “stressful” and “nerve-wracking” right up until he received the incredible news of his selection.
“I am so happy that I got chosen as a match to Emory,” he said. “Because it gives a representation to Odessa, and especially OHS. The students here can go far.”
Mendoza is now the second Odessa High School student to be matched through QuestBridge. The classmate Mendoza mentioned earlier in the story is Evan Haley, who in 2019 was matched with Princeton.
