FOUR Marianas High School seniors were “matched” through the QuestBridge National College Match program, receiving full-ride scholarships to institutions of higher learning.
Arisa Custodio was matched to University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Christina Kim to Northwest University in Illinois, Vivien Liu to Amherst College in Massachusetts, and Jigger Parayaoan to Bowdoin College in Maine.
The national program connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to top colleges.
“As the eldest child, there was definitely a lot of pressure about college and getting tons of scholarships to keep my family from being financially burdened, so I am extremely grateful for QuestBridge. I remember finding out about it during my freshman year and thinking that this was such a good scholarship opportunity to apply to and that I needed to start building up my extracurriculars and maintaining my grades,” said Custodio.
“It was difficult to break out of my shell and explore, especially with the [Covid-19] situation, and I believe I only started to build myself up back in January of 2021.”
Recognizing the competitiveness of this prestigious scholarship, Custodio said at one point she found herself giving up and deciding not to apply to the national program.
“Thankfully, there were many life-changing events that happened in a span of five months, right before the application was due. These encouraged me to apply since I felt that I knew myself better and was proud of what I’ve done so far. And now here I am, matched to the University of Notre Dame. It feels so surreal,” she said.
Custodio said when she received the congratulatory message from QuestBridge, she was happy, shocked and in disbelief. She quickly emailed QuestBridge to ensure that she was in fact matched to an institution of higher learning.
“I am truly grateful for QuestBridge, Notre Dame, and everyone in my life who has contributed to my growth and helped me get to where I am now. I’m so sad to be leaving my home so soon, but super excited to be starting my fall semester at [Notre Dame],” she said.
Kim, for her part, recalled her experience as a QuestBridge College Prep Scholar, being linked to summer programs and fly-in programs.
“The network and support that they provided me with was just incredible. That’s why I decided to participate in the National College Match, and I’m so glad that I did. The day that I found out I matched to Northwestern University, I was in pure shock. In fact, I refreshed the page a few times every few hours to check if this was really happening to me. I want to thank Northwestern University, QuestBridge, my teachers and peers who have encouraged me through this process, and my mom who worked endlessly to give me this opportunity,” she said.
For Liu, “Coming from a big public school, I know that we’re not typically offered as much individualized help throughout the bulk of our college application journey. Our resources were already spread so thin, which is why I’m especially grateful for the help I did receive. I recall the countless nights I spent independently weighing my options for college and stressing out about how I’m going to afford going to school anywhere, so I’m really excited to be able to begin my post-secondary education at Amherst College on a full-ride.”
She added, “I really believe I wouldn’t have received this scholarship without a few teachers in my life who helped guide my thinking, certainly in the academic realm, but more importantly, who helped me refine my thinking and challenge my preconceptions. They never failed to encourage me to venture beyond what was required to just ‘get an A.’”
Liu said she was especially grateful for her parents’ support. “I couldn’t be more thankful because I recognize just how hard they worked to help get me to where I am today, and who, of course, were also very excited to hear that they didn’t have to contribute a dime for my college education. I have been challenged academically and personally throughout my years in high school, and I am more than ready to embrace the academic rigor and personal growth to come in the next four years,” she added.
Parayaoan said the college application process was “one of the most stressful things I’ve ever had to do, and I’m sure other students, both currently applying and admitted, can agree with me on that. I knew that I was in no position to attend college without facing multiple financial barriers, and I hated the thought of being financially restricted. I decided to involve myself in extracurriculars that were meaningful to me and focus on
Clockwise from top left, Arisa Custodio, Christina Kim, Jigger Parayaoan, and Vivien Liu are recipients of the prestigious QuestBridge scholarship.
