Two Alamance-Burlington high school seniors got an early Christmas present – both have been awarded full scholarships to attend two of the country’s most prestigious universities.
Eastern High School senior Rocio Rosa Quezada and Southern High School senior Clare Meehan are two of the 1,755 high school seniors in the U.S. to receive a full-ride scholarship from QuestBridge, a nonprofit organization in Palo Alto, California that that has provided scholarships for academically-advanced students from low-income households since 2003.
“I am extremely proud of Rocio and that she will attend my alma mater, Vanderbilt University!” said Eastern High School principal Dr. Whitney Fliehman. “Her hard work and dedication will carry her far throughout her very bright future.”
Southern High School senior Clare Meehan has been awarded a full scholarship to attend Duke University by QuestBridge, according to ABSS.
“We are so proud of Clare,” Southern High School principal Teresa Faucette remarked. “She is an amazing student who has worked tirelessly to reach her goals. Over the summer she participated in a research opportunity with Duke which further propelled her to want to become a student there. We have no doubt that she will go on to great things.”
Quezada and Meehan were selected from a pool of more than 17,900 applicants (and 5,613 finalists) for the QuestBridge 2022 “National College Match Scholarship” competition, which works to make higher education at outstanding colleges and universities affordable for qualifying students, according to the nonprofit.
Qualifying applicants are required to have an average unweighted Grade Point Average (based on grades for all classes) of 3.94; and most past successful applicants have ranked in the top 10 for their graduating classes, according to the nonprofit. The majority of recipients qualify for free and reduced-price school meals and come from households with annual incomes of less than $65,000, QuestBridge noted in its announcement.
The scholarships that Quezada and Meehan have been awarded will cover the costs for: tuition, books, supplies, and fees; room and board; and any related travel expenses. The QuestBridge scholarship packages require no financial contribution from recipients’ parents/guardians; nor do they require recipients to take out any student loans, though some may opt to participate in Work-Study or summer work programs.
This year’s total of 1,755 winners come from 49 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico, QuestBridge announced earlier this month.
