If you ask Jalen Johnson about her career aspirations, she has more than one idea.
“I see myself either developing my own business…But I can also see myself managing a big corporation,” Johnson said.
When Johnon learned she was matched with Rice University through the QuestBridge Program, earning a full four-year scholarship that covers tuition, room, board, and other expenses, excitement isn’t a strong enough word to describe how she felt.
“I was ecstatic, I was elated. It’s kind of scary to think ‘wow, I’m going to this place for four years’ but then, on the other hand, ‘I’m going to go to this new place for 4 years!’“
QuestBridge is a national nonprofit that connects high-achieving, low-income students with 52 of the nation’s top colleges and universities through its National College Match. A former Dr. Williams Elementary and Urbana Middle School student, Jalen began the process of applying to QuestBridge during her junior year of high school. The process is similar to that of the typical college admissions process, which also required Johnson to rank the Universities she hoped to match with and select her area of study.
“I ranked nine out of 15 (schools) and Rice was my third one (choice),” she said.
Balancing academics and extracurriculars, Johnson’s journey to this achievement took a lot of hard work and sacrifice. She juggled four jobs, including working for the Urbana After-School Program at Leal Elementary. She’s also the Senior Class Senate President and actively participates in National Honor Society, Student Council, and Habitat for Humanity.
“You just really have to make time for everything. It comes with sacrifices too… but I think it’s all worth it,” Johnson said.
When you ask Johnson what she will miss most about her time at Urbana High School, the answer came easy; “The teachers, I am going to miss the teachers. They made a big impact on me and a lot of other people that I know.”
This accomplishment marks a significant milestone, not just for Jalen, but for her entire family. She will be the first in her family to graduate from a University with a degree.
“Not a lot of people in my family go to college. I do take pride in making more of a path for my family down the road,” Johnson said. “I want to be an example for those that come after me. That is what my mom has told me she was like, ‘Me and your dad, we want you to do better than us.’”
Out of over 25,500 applicants, QuestBridge selected 7,288 finalists to be considered for the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship. This year, QuestBridge’s 52 college partners matched with 2,627 finalists, who are recognized as Match Scholarship Recipients. This is the highest number of Match Scholarship Recipients to date for QuestBridge.