- Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District
- ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Homepage
Saginaw High School Senior Earns QuestBridge Scholarship to Rice University
Originally posted on January 30, 2025.
Saginaw High School senior Olaoluwapo "Ola" Oladipo has been awarded a QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship to attend Rice University, where she plans to major in English and minor in creative writing. This prestigious scholarship covers tuition, room and board, along with additional expenses.
"I knew I wanted to go to college, but I knew it was expensive. My two siblings are in college right now and they're dealing with bills, and I didn't want to deal with that, so I thought it was important to get a full-ride scholarship," Oladipo said.
The QuestBridge National College Match program connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with full scholarships to the nation's top colleges.
As a finalist, students rank up to 15 colleges, and if a college matches with them, they receive a full-ride scholarship.
Oladipo was uncertain how she would pay for college, but after speaking to her friend Fransico Garcia, she began considering QuestBridge.
"He encouraged me to explore this opportunity," she said.
Garcia, Saginaw High School's 2024 valedictorian, is a current QuestBridge Scholar at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
Initially uncertain about her chances, Oladipo turned to her passion for creative writing to make her application stand out.
"I didn't think I was going to get this. I was on Reddit with the QuestBridge students, and they are really impressive and doing a lot and I didn't have great answers. But I used my creative writing to make my answers stand out," she said.
Then, came the moment Oladipo found out she was accepted.
"I was in the car with a friend, and I got the email, and I just remember saying, 'Oh my gosh, I get to go to college.' I wanted to go to college, but if I didn't have the money for it, I wasn't going to do it," she said
Highlighting the personalized opportunities offered in ²ÝÁñÉçÇø, Oladipo participates in prose and poetry at Saginaw High School, and at Rice she is eager to immerse herself in the school's literary community.
"I want to be a writer, so I want to meet people who write. I want to be able to advance my career," she said. "Rice has a really good speech and debate program. I can't wait for speech and debate. That's my favorite thing."
Oladipo believes that the success of students like Garcia and herself will pave the way for future QuestBridge scholarships at Saginaw High.
"I think more students at Saginaw High School will continue to receive QuestBridge Scholarships. Francisco and a couple of students before him opened the door, and now QuestBridge sees Saginaw as a place where students come from and succeed at the college of their choice," she said.
Oladipo also attributes her achievements to the dedicated world-class educators at Saginaw High School.
"The teachers are a big part of the level of success students have at this school," she said. "The only reason I'm part of Speech and Debate is because of the teachers here. Coach Parker, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Proctor, Ms. Townsend, Coach James, Ms. Cordova, they have all had a big impact on my success."
In particular, Oladipo highlighted the family culture at SHS and the influence of Ms. Townsend.
"Ms. Townsend is like a mother to me. Freshman year I didn't speak. She encouraged me to do poetry, and I finally read my poetry out loud in a competition in front of people. It's because of her that I can converse with you right now, and make eye contact with you, and carry on a conversation and speak in front of people," she shared.
We are #EMSproud of Ola Oladipo for receiving the QuestBridge Scholarship to attend Rice University.