Santa Maria High School senior matched by QuestBridge to Brown University with full scholarship out of 6,000 finalists

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – QuestBridge, an organization helping connect low-income students with colleges offering full scholarships, matched Abraham Carrillo-Galindo, a senior at Santa Maria High School, to Brown University out of 6,000 finalists.

The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District provided more information in the following press release:

Santa Maria High School Senior, Abraham Carrillo-Galindo, was recently matched by QuestBridge to Brown University, a private Ivy League research university located in Providence, Rhode Island.

QuestBridge is a national organization that connects high-achieving, low-income students with 50 college partners that offer full scholarships. Brown University has an 6% acceptance rate. The cost of attendance for Brown is over $65,000 a year.

Abraham was chosen out of 6,000 finalists, as one of the 2,000 students nation-wide to be matched to one of QuestBridge’s partner schools.

Abraham has worked hard to make this opportunity a reality. He is involved with a number of organizations at the SMHS campus, including the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), SMHS Marching Band, and Upward Bound. He has over a 4.4 GPA.

Abraham is the first in his family to attend college. He plans to major in International Relations and Global Affairs while attending Brown University.

“I am extremely grateful to have learned about this opportunity and to have been matched to one of the top Ivy League universities.”— Abraham Carrillo, SMHS Senior

“I am so proud of all Abraham’s accomplishments. He is one student that works above and beyond. His academic performance and involvement on and off campus is exceptional. Unlike other students who just focus in one area (academics, sports, or extracurricular activities), he does it all, while maintaining exceptional grades and excelling in his leadership roles.”— Cecilia Grimaldo, Senior Counselor

“I have known Abraham since his freshmen year of high school. Through dedication and a relentless pursuit of academic excellence, Abraham has not only embraced but maximized every opportunity provided by the Early Academic Outreach program. His commitment to personal and intellectual growth is reflected in his proactive participation in many of the organizations and community organizations that promote social justice and change for his community. Since last year, when he was selected as a Junior College Prep Scholars Program with QuestBridge, we knew it was the start to something amazing. I am honored to work with such an amazing individual that not only goes out of his way to unlock new horizons, demonstrating a strong desire to reach his highest potential, but he always shares his knowledge so that his peers and future SMHS students can also benefit from the opportunities that have allowed him to place himself at one of the most prestigious universities in our country. Abraham is a change maker. I can’t wait to hear about the great things he will achieve at Brown University, and I know his parents are so proud of him.”— Nancy Pacheco, SMHS EAOP Advisor