Four Riverdale Students Receive Full Rides to Top Universities
Jefferson Parish Schools is proud to honor four Riverdale High School students who were selected to receive full four-year scholarships through the QuestBridge National College Match program. These outstanding students and their matched college scholarships include Oyshee Lahiry (Princeton University), Chi Pham (Stanford University), Vivian Santillo (Grinnell College) and Maida Shahid (Princeton University).
QuestBridge National College Match connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to the nation’s top colleges. This year, QuestBridge’s 42 college partners matched with a record number of 1,464 finalists. The Match Scholarship is offered as part of a generous financial aid package provided by the college that covers the full cost of attendance, including tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses.
"Our Riverdale High community is honored that QuestBridge recognizes the brilliance in these students and the value of an International Baccalaureate Program," said Danielle Yunusah, Principal of Riverdale High School. "These young ladies pursued the most rigorous courses, and it made them competitive locally and nationally. Our ultimate goal as a school community is to empower our students to work fervently toward academic success while doing so with compassion and an appreciation for diversity. Chi, Oyshee, Vivian, and Maidi are not only exceptional students, they are exceptional human beings; the epitome of what an IB education offers. We are proud of them and we thank their families for entrusting us with their education."
These students pursued the most rigorous course sequence offered at Riverdale High School through the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. IB aims to develop students who are inquiring, knowledgeable and caring. These IB students exhibit strong academic, social and emotional characteristics. The four recipients are Class of 2021 Full Diploma Candidates.