Rai is the first Fairfield student in at least a dozen years — maybe more — to earn a full scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools in America’s northeast, said Amanda Schur, a veteran counselor at the high school.
Schur said she has worked with hundreds of Fairfield students in her counseling career but never someone like Rai.
“She’s amazing and she definitely deserves it,” said the 12-year veteran school counselor.
“In all of my years, she is one of the most dedicated, hard-working and kindest kids I’ve ever worked with,” she said of the honor student who is currently earning the school’s second highest GPA and was recently chosen as a member of the Fairfield High School Homecoming Court.
The scholarship is the result of Rai’s application to the national QuestBridge program and 83% of this year’s scholarship recipients are among the first generation in their families to attend a four-year college in the U.S, said program officials.
California-based QuestBridge is a national nonprofit that specializes in aiding high-achieving high school students from lower income families and first-generation college-applying students to earn scholarships.
The University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia and Rai will begin classes there in the fall.
Schur said Rai plans to take advantage of not having to pay the more than $68,000 in annual tuition and other costs covered by the scholarship to free her up to work during her undergraduate years so she can save for post-graduate medical or dental school.
“She consistently challenges herself with the most difficult classes we offer,” she said. “She has wanted to go into some type of medical field. And she seeks out all of these opportunities and she also puts forth the effort needed to experience them.”
Rai was thrilled to learn of her scholarship win.
“Growing up, I created high aspirations for myself, unsure if I was even going to accomplish it,” she said. “I just hoped that I would be able to achieve my dream career without being a financial burden to my family.
“After four long years of endless endeavors, I was blessed to receive this scholarship to a prestigious institution. QuestBridge helped me get one step closer to my goal. One that would have remained in my imagination, otherwise.”
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