The city of Newark is celebrating seventeen students who have been accepted to the highly-esteemed QuestBridge National College Match, five from two magnet schools that are part of the traditional district and eleven from North Star Academy, a public charter school network. Questbridge connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to the nation’s top colleges.

(Update from St. Benedict’s Prep.)

Two students from Bard High School Early College, three students from Technology High School, and eleven students from North Star Academy were selected out of over 25,500 applicants, and 2,627 finalists nationwide. The scholarship covers 100% of the costs, valued at over $350,000.

Here are the scholars, along with the colleges they will be attending:

Bard High School Early: Judith Garcia Torres (Grinnell College) and Kristina Aguirre (Williams College)

As founder of her high school’s Chess Club, Judith Garcia Torres has learned the importance of thinking a few moves ahead. But Garcia never could have predicted that she would find out about her next big move – going to Grinnell College in Iowa – during a chess game with her studio art teacher.

“I was shocked,” said Judith, a native New Yorker who moved to Newark’s North Ward while she was in the eighth grade. “I was so happy to have the stress of college applications off my shoulders.”

Judith, who plans to study biochemistry with aspirations of becoming a microbiologist or psychiatrist, will be the first in her family to go to college. Her father works as a waiter in Manhattan, and her mother is a homemaker. She has two younger sisters: one who is a sophomore at Science Park High School and another who is a third grader at Ridge Street Elementary School.

Kristina Aguirre intends to major in English and East Asian languages with the goal of becoming a writer for children’s media while utilizing her language skills. An assignment in the eighth grade sparked her interest in writing. Participating in the New Jersey Law Education Empowerment Project (NJLEEP) program throughout high school has help Aguirre hone her writing skills.

Her interest in East Asian Languages stemmed from her school’s Mandarin classes and her desire to improve her Japanese skills.

Kristina’s mother, who works in a laundromat, is originally from Japan. Her father emigrated from Nicaragua and works as an Uber driver. Her older sister graduated from Temple University’s Japan campus in May. She has two older brothers in college, one who attends Yale University and the other who is at Rutgers University in Newark. Her younger brother is a student at Bard High School Early College.

East Side High School:  Claudia Ferreira, (University of Pennsylvania)

When Claudia moves to the Ivy League school in Philadelphia, it will be her first experience living outside of Newark’s Ironbound section. The neighborhood has been her home since she was born at Saint James Hospital. Her mother is from Portugal, and her father is from Brazil.

Claudia, who discovered her passion for biology as a student at Hawkins Street School, plans to major in the field as she works toward her goal of becoming a forensic pathologist. She also has a strong interest in creative writing and is an avid reader of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians fantasy novel series by Rick Riordan. Last summer, Claudia completed a four-week course at Harvard University where she wrote an original short story.

Technology High School: Daren Crespo (Brown University), Gabriel Espinoza (University of Pennsylvania), and and Henry Umana (Boston University). 

Daren Crespo was born at Saint James Hospital and previously attended Lafayette Street School. He is of Ecuadorian descent and lives with his mother, Carole Torres, who works as a passenger assistant for United Ground Express. To help his mother, Daren has assumed many household responsibilities and helped care for his 12-year-old sister, Janick.

In high school, Daren has been active in extracurricular activities, serving as Vice President of the Math/SAT Club, participating in the National Honor Society, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Student Council, and contributing to the school newspaper.

Gabriel Espinoza plans to major in finance or business administration, aspiring to become a corporate financial analyst. His interest in business came from observing his uncle’s information technology parts business and discovering his own love for math and problem-solving. Ultimately, Gabriel intends to use his finance education to better his community.

“I hope to use my financial analysis skills and business knowledge to eventually establish my own accounting firm in a low-income area to help financially illiterate families manage their money,” he said.

Born in Newark, Henry Umana grew up immersed in the vibrant cultural diversity of the Ironbound community. He attended Lafayette Street School from Pre-K to eighth grade. Throughout high school, Henry has been involved in numerous extracurricular activities, holding leadership roles in Student Council, National Honor Society, and the Class of 2025. He has also participated in the Fashion Club, Journalism Club, Photography Club, and AP Science Club, and has helped other students with AP English homework.  

North Star Academy: Dominion Adeniyi-Idowu (Williams College)

Dominion said receiving a Questbridge scholarship to attend Williams College for free for four years gives her a sense of security and a feeling of happiness.

“My family doesn’t have $80,000 to spend on college tuition and fees,” she said. “This scholarship has impacted my life for the better. I have the chance to explore and discover what I want to become in the future without any type of financial burden or restriction.” In high school, Dominion took 11 Advanced Placement classes and passed most of them, meaning she will start college ahead with college credits. She hopes to become a registered nurse and eventually a nurse anesthetist.

North Star Academy: Moboluwaduro Esther Fola-Akintola (Rice University)

Born and raised in rural Nigeria, Moboluwaduro immigrated to the United States in 2019 when she was in middle school.

“I never asked for help, I saw my way as the right way, and I traded any fun I should’ve been having as a child for academic success and recognition. My logic was that when I retired at 60, then I could watch all the cartoons I had missed out on from my childhood.”  

Moboluwaduro excelled in high school, taking classes like Advanced Placement chemistry and biology as well as electives in robotics – classes which helped her make a decision about what to study in college. “A lot of things in this life are random, including me,” she said. “But one thing I’m certain of is that given the chance and a lot of help from God, I am committed to repairing my community and the world around me because, to quote the theme song of Monk, ‘It’s a Jungle Out There’.”

North Star Academy: Rodihat MoRolake Abayomi (University of Pennsylvania)

Rodihat believes her dreams and aspirations are within reach because she will be able to attend the University of Pennsylvania for free on a QuestBridge scholarship. “This opens endless opportunities that I am more than ready to explore and take advantage of,” said Rodihat, who was on the track team as well as the student council. all four years of high school. “It means that I won’t have to take out loans or strain myself trying to meet ends meet while being a full-time student. It means that I can focus on studies and career goals at a prestigious university. This will allow me to be even more financially stable once I graduate.”

“This scholarship has ensured that my single mom won’t have to take on the burden of paying for my tuition,” she said. “It means that I can be an example and role model for my younger sister, it means I can make my mom proud, it means the world to me.”

North Star Academy: Phoebe Brown (University of Pennsylvania)

Originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica, Phoebe moved to Newark in 2019. The move put her connection to her culture to the test. It wasn’t until she invited the teammates from her volleyball team over for dinner at her house that she regained an appreciation for her heritage.

Phoebe said she was reluctant to bring her school friends to her very Jamaican household, where shoes are not permitted, Bible scriptures hang on the fridge, and there is a large number of plants.

“My mother excitedly made her favorite dish, oxtail with rice and peas,” she said. “At the dinner table, I was nervous of their reactions to this foreign meal. I watched their facial expressions closely as they chewed on the tender meat. To my surprise, they exclaimed in delight, expressing their satisfaction, and demanded that my mother make them small packages so they could bring the meal home to their families. This moment of cultural exchange reignited my appreciation for my heritage.”

North Star Academy: Nevaeh Fields (Wesleyan University)

During high school, Nevaeh balanced a heavy course load that included several Advanced Placement classes, babysitting her siblings, volunteering at Children’s Specialized Hospital and being a member of the volleyball team for the last three years.

As a result of those activities, Nevaeh was able to get into the University of Pennsylvania’s Bold Summers Medicine Program, which not only gave her an opportunity to experience life on a college campus, but also exposed her to a variety of different fields of medicine that she is eager to explore.

“I have always been passionate about pursuing my goals, both academically and athletically,” she said. “Inspired by my grandpa and my mother, I am eager to uncover a career in the medical field that will allow me to help others.”

Nevaeh said in college she wants to work on medical issues related to young women. She hopes to one day become an obstetrician/gynecologist. “I wish to make an impact on the lives of African American women. Many black women are more likely to have difficulty during pregnancy due to a variety of factors, including medical discrimination in the healthcare system and the historical lack of care for their bodies. The real question is why? Why are our mortality rates higher than any other race? These are medical mysteries I hope to uncover within the field of obstetrics and gynecology, especially pertaining to black pregnant mothers.”

North Star Academy: Latasha Garretson (Cornell University)

In sixth grade, Latasha Garretson enrolled at North Star Academy because her mother heard it was a top school and that it would prepare her well for college. “Being shy, I kept my head down and did my schoolwork. I started to be seen for my good grades in math and science, even English and history,” Latasha recalled. “The adrenaline from being praised made me want to succeed even more until I started to do well for my own satisfaction, and I would set new limits for myself to reach.”

Her love for cats sparked an interest in becoming a veterinarian. Last summer, she had the opportunity to attend a two-week veterinary medicine program at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts, where she learned how to tip a sheep, listen to the heartbeat of horses and chickens and bandage small animal wounds. She said the experience gave her a new passion for treating all animals. “My goal is to build animal shelters nationwide that rehabilitate hurt animals and place them in safe environments. I want to mentor other women of color with a passion for animal welfare to bring more representation to the field.”

North Star Academy: Maurice Houston (Emory University)

Maurice said he was inspired by his grandmother, who died during his sophomore year in high school after a six-year struggle with ovarian cancer. At her funeral, he saw how many people looked up to her and loved her.

“My grandmother was someone who was always helping people any way she could, even when she barely had anything for herself,” Maurice said. “I realized that I wanted to be more like my grandmother, not someone who doesn’t talk to anyone or who goes through life with their head down. I want to be there for people, I want to have the power to inspire and brighten days.”

Maurice, who previously kept to himself, said he started talking to his peers and teachers. He became the leader of an advisory peer group so that he could offer support and guidance, much the way his grandmother did for her friends and family. With a 4.0 GPA, Maurice also decided he wanted to major in economics when he gets to college.

North Star Academy: Kaniyah Kaba (Rice University)

Since she was a young girl, Kaniyah took up an interest in makeup and the upkeep of her skin. Her sister, who struggles with eczema, furthered her interest and inspired her to create her own skincare business. Over the summer, she had the opportunity to attend a pre-college program in medicinal chemistry at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.

“We learned about chemical synthesis – the process when two or more simple substances react to make a complex product,” she said. “Learning how to synthesize chemicals and test them is very useful given that I plan to formulate my own products.” After college, Kaniyah hopes to become a dermatology physician assistant.

North Star Academy: Mory Kone (Rice University)

Last year, Mory took responsibility for his five-year-old brother, Kali, who came to live with him after being raised by their grandmother in Cote D’Ivoire.

He said it has been difficult to balance the needs of his younger brother with school.

“I want to join the debate club, and join a football team, but I can’t. I have to pick up Kali,” Mory said. “I have to push these desires away until I’m finally in college where I will have the freedom to pursue my passions – business, marketing, engineering or even something in the medical field.”

Despite his lack of time, Mory said he created a driver’s education program at his school, co-founded the chess club, and played a key role in building a school store that gives out free hygiene products.

“My life is just beginning, and with my absolute trust in Allah I know I am destined for greater things,” he said.

North Star Academy: David Okunlola (Wesleyan University)

David grew up in Nigeria, where he was raised by an aunt and uncle, occasionally visiting his biological parents on weekends.

His aunt owned and ran a primary school in Lagos and his uncle was a pastor of a Pentecostal parish.

“I was raised in school and church,” he said.

When he moved to Newark in 2018 with his two younger siblings, the American education system was an enigma to his family. Yet at North Star Academy, he discovered a passion for math, because “it removes the bias and interpretation that other subjects impose. It allows for a yes/no answer that doesn’t differ based on the lens of the speaker, and it transcends languages and generations.”

Having a scholarship that pays full tuition is a blessing, he said.

“My mother moved to the United States to help us get better opportunities,” he said. “A full-ride scholarship to one of the top colleges in the country, eliminating the need for her to pay for college made her extremely happy, and brought her to tears.”

North Star Academy: Emmanuel Opoku (Boston College)

Emmanuel said he plans to major in biomedical engineering when he gets to college because he is passionate about helping those in need.

“I aspire to create prosthetics and artificial organs for a variety of people, including young children, senior citizens, and athletes, so they can continue living their best lives,” Emmanuel said. “With more research and experimentation, I hope to help other athletes who may have other kinds of impediments like missing limbs.”

“Providing a solution such as prosthetics can change the trajectory of any needful athlete’s career, he said. “I want them to know they can do it. Mental or physical struggles do not mean the end of doing what we enjoy most.”

One of his proudest academic achievements in high school was earning the highest GPA Award during his freshman year. He also participated on the Track and Field team, running the 200 and 400-meter events.

“This accomplishment reflects my hard work and determination, especially as I adjusted to the rigor of high school and the challenges after COVID,” he said.