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by Ashley Paredez
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SAN ANTONIO – Without financial aid or scholarships, many students are unable to afford a higher education. But for Sarah Paez, a recent graduate of Southwest High School, hard work and determination have paid off. She’s heading to the college of her dreams – on a full ride scholarship.
From walking down the hallways of Southwest High to walking across the graduation stage, Paez carries with her four years of memories – and the challenges it took to get here.
“I know for a long time I thought that I wouldn't be able to go to college just because I didn't have the money for it,” Paez said.
But she was driven – by her family, especially her younger siblings.
“I have two little sisters, and knowing that, I want to show them that they can do something, you know, bigger,” she said.
She was also motivated by a love of learning. In addition to her regular classes, Paez competed in UIL academics, focusing on English and social studies contests. She served as president of the Chemistry Society and was active in both the book club and gardening club – all while working a job and maintaining high grades.
“I remember going to work in the beginning of the year and having to finish my vocabulary at work,” she said. “Like I was on my phone typing on my Google Doc to finish my vocab for my government class.”
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Paez had her heart set on the University of Chicago. She knew it would take more than good grades – it would require a full scholarship to make the dream possible.
“I knew that I had to get accepted, like, with a full ride, or else I wouldn't be able to go,” she said. “And that's when I had found the National College Match, which, if you get matched there, you get a full ride automatically through the college.”
She applied to that scholarship program – and several others. Then in December, she got an update that changed everything.
“I was so sure I was not going to get in, I made my friend check it for me,” she said. “So she had checked it for me in the middle of our calculus class, and I had started sobbing when I found out that I got in.”
Paez believes her personal essay played a major role in her acceptance. She wrote about a play she saw, and how it helped her confront the emotional toll of leaving her family behind to pursue her goals.
“It really made me struggle with the fact that I knew that I was going to have to leave my family behind for college to be able to do what I wanted to do,” she said.
She plans to major in biochemistry, then continue on to graduate school – possibly earning a Ph.D.
“I’ve thought about going into medical research for, like, people with disabilities and for different diseases, like sickle cell research and things like that,” she said. “So I really just want to make people’s lives better and make our world, like, a better place where people have more opportunities.”
This spring, Paez and her family visited the University of Chicago campus together. She is the first in her family to be accepted into a four-year university – and is already leaving behind a legacy she worked hard to create.
