GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) – A Fruita senior was awarded a full ride scholarship to a ‘Southern Ivy’ college.
Kiya Williams is a sixth generation Fruita local who attends Fruita Monument High School. She recently received a prestigious scholarship.
The QuestBridge National College Match program is a scholarship opportunity for high-achieving and low-income students. It is a full four-year scholarship that will cover tuition, room, board and other fees.
“I didn’t think there was like any way I would actually get the scholarship,” Williams said. “I set my hopes pretty low.”
She started the process as a junior through College Prep Scholars through QuestBridge. In the fall of her senior year, she started applying. After many rounds of interviewing, she was selected as a finalist and able to rank her top school choices.
Williams was accepted to Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tennessee, where she will be attending school in the fall of 2025. Vanderbilt is not an Ivy League school, but is known as a ‘Southern Ivy.’ She is planning to study Health Medicine in Society.
“I’ve always wanted to go into something in the medical [field]. And Vanderbilt has a really good medicine program,” Williams said. “I also just love Vanderbilt because it’s in Nashville and I’m a big music person and so is my family. So, Vanderbilt was my top choice.”
When asked if she had any advice for students who may be interested in applying for the program, the senior advised that everyone should follow the QuestBridge motto and “Dream Big.”
“I think a lot of kids don’t think that they can go anywhere else or get the scholarships or anything like that. There’s something out there for everyone, and I just think set your expectations as like high as you can. There’s no harm in going for it because then you never know what happens,” Williams said.
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