In the midst of the season of giving, Ryan Duong and Farzad Fakhruddin received the ultimate present ahead of the holiday break.
The two Gateway Science Academy seniors were named QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship recipients, beating out over 25,000 applicants for the honor. Duong will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), while Fakhruddin is headed to Boston University next fall.
“The QuestBridge Match means so much to me,” Duong said. “It’s not only a way for me not to agonize over finances as I receive my college education, but it’s also an opportunity to study at MIT—the world’s leading institution of higher learning and research in STEM—and live alongside the unique, innovative, welcoming community that comes with it for four whole years.”
QuestBridge, a nonprofit organization that provides high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with opportunities in higher education, connected with Duong and Fakhruddin through its National College Match program. QuestBridge partners with 52 colleges and universities that are willing to fund full four-year scholarships and pairs its top applicants with institutions that best fit their needs. The scholarship is worth over $325,000 and covers tuition, housing, school supplies, travel expenses and on-campus dining.
Given the stiff competition, Fakhruddin and Duong worked vigorously on their applications with the help of their college counselors and teachers at GSA. However, the hardest part for them was the waiting game that followed after finalizing their submissions. After turning in their application in September and finding out they were finalists a month later, Fakhruddin and Duong didn’t hear back from QuestBridge until December that they had matched with their respective colleges.
Fakhruddin was in the middle of a psychology class at a local community college when he found out the news.
“I literally screamed. I was so happy,” Fakhruddin said. “Everybody was like, ‘What’s wrong with him?’ I told them I got a full-ride scholarship and everyone applauded.”
Fakhruddin’s path to landing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity didn’t come easy. He moved to the United States from Afghanistan two and a half years ago not knowing how to speak fluent English and was behind on his high school credits compared to his peers. However, he was determined to get a scholarship and took Saturday school every week to position himself to where he is now.
When he begins his time at Boston University, Fakhruddin is likely to study biochemistry but wants to work towards becoming a cardiologist. His father suffered a heart attack earlier this year and the level of care the doctors displayed influenced the direction he wanted to take with his future.
“I’m a pretty religious person and I decided that it’s a very sacred and holy job to take care of people,” Fakhruddin said. “I’m going to study something like biology but the ultimate goal is to become a cardiologist so I can give back to my community.”
Duong is still figuring out what area of study he wants to pursue but is deciding between mathematics, astro/theoretical physics, computer science, aerospace engineering, and mechanical engineering. He has come a long way since his initial ambivalence towards attending college his freshman year of high school.
Now, he is ready to take on his next adventure and is excited to live in a larger urban setting.
“I’d dreamt of going to MIT since I loved STEM and had maintained good grades for as long as I could remember,” he said.
Both Duong and Fakhruddin credited their teachers at GSA for helping them reach their goals throughout their time in high school. From the educators who would answer late-night questions about an assignment to those who took time to tighten up their QuestBridge applications, the two seniors recognize how special the level of care that exists at the school.
“It just shows how supportive this environment is,” Fakhruddin said. “GSA is a small school where everybody knows each other. We have each other’s back. We support each other and that’s what I love about GSA.”
More GSA College Acceptances
GSA also wants to shout out Gulnihal Iyiyol and Alper Yildiz, who recently got accepted into Washington University in St. Louis.
