Jurupa Hills High School seniors, from left, Berlyn Sanchez and Karla Louisa were awarded the QuestBridge National College Match four-year scholarships worth over $325,000.
Jurupa Hills High School seniors, from left, Berlyn Sanchez and Karla Louisa were awarded the QuestBridge National College Match four-year scholarships worth over $325,000.
Jurupa Hills High School seniors and classmates Karla Louisa and Berlyn Sanchez earned the prestigious QuestBridge National College Match scholarship for their academic achievements.
The two first-generation college students said they were excited after logging into QuestBridge’s online portal and seeing on-screen confetti celebrating their qualification for the four-year scholarship worth over $325,000. Louisa will attend Barnard College in New York and Sanchez is headed for Boston University.
“It just feels like a relief,” Louisa said, whose parents immigrated from Syria. “It makes everything my family came here for worth it because it’s all paid for. Knowing I have that set up feels like an accomplishment and it means a lot to my family knowing I can pursue higher education and they will not have to worry about paying for it. It just feels like such a relief.”
Sanchez said she was happy to share the news with her parents and younger sister.
“For me and my whole family, it’s just a sign you can do anything,” Sanchez said.
“I’m first generation, and my parents barely finished high school. Going to college is already a big step and a big change, and for me to go to a top school on a full ride is just so surreal. It’s such peace of mind. I don’t have to worry about planning out my future because with QuestBridge it’s already set where I’ll be for the next four years, my living expenses, everything.”
Starting in 1994, QuestBridge connects youth living in low-income households with four-year scholarship opportunities across 52 of the nation’s top colleges. Match Scholarship recipients receive early admittance into QuestBridge college partners with scholarships from colleges and universities.
Sanchez and Louisa thanked Jurupa Hills High School teachers, counselors and programs like International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) for showing them future postsecondary and career opportunities.
Sanchez will study biomedical engineering to become a cardiovascular surgeon. She became passionate about biomedical engineering after attending a Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) program. A teacher recommended she take this summer research program which gave her hands-on experiments researching Parkinson’s disease.
Louisa will study cellular and molecular biology and minor in Middle Eastern studies to become a professor.
She said she wants to mentor science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students while researching alongside them in a laboratory. She acquired this interest from her freshman honors biology class. She attended the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS), a four-week residential program for math and science students.
“Jurupa Hills has been a help for me preparing for college, all of the resources and teachers here are supportive,” Louisa said. “They are big on finding opportunities and sharing them with students, that’s how I learned about QuestBridge and COSMOS. Without our school, I wouldn’t have gained this experience or the aspirations I have now.”
QuestBridge scholars can meet with each other through the QuestBridge Scholars Network and the QuestBridge Alumni Association after they graduate. Multiple FUSD students like Louisa and Sanchez were named QuestBridge National College Match finalists.
“They handled things themselves pretty much the whole way through,” said Robert Nava, a counselor at Jurupa Hills.
“We always release information to students in junior year so they know the steps and the processes. These two took it upon themselves to submit everything and get it done. Karla joined me on a college field trip during her junior year as we spent four days and three nights visiting colleges throughout the state. I knew she was going somewhere great, and Berlin, too, as a student in our programs.”
“Fontana Unified students, like Karla and Berlyn, continue to reach new heights,” said FUSD Superintendent Miki Inbody.
“It is incredible to have two students from the same school earn the life-changing QuestBridge scholarship. Their success is a credit to their hard work and the unwavering support of their teachers, counselors, and the programming not only at Jurupa Hills High School but across our District.”
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