Special to 1808Delaware
Westerville North High School senior Kwame Boateng has two milestones in his plans after graduating this spring: attending college and becoming a doctor.
He will reach the first milestone and will get started on the second one after receiving a full four-year scholarship through QuestBridge’s National College Match, a program that connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with scholarships to the country’s top universities.
“College was going to be a lot to worry about but with QuestBridge, it really takes that burden off of you,” said Boateng, who will attend Northwestern University to study neuroscience on a premed track.
QuestBridge partners with 48 colleges and universities in the U.S. to offer the National College Match scholarship. The scholarship covers the full cost of attendance for each college — including tuition, room and board, travel expenses, and books and supplies — with no student loans. Some scholarships require some type of student contribution in the form of work-study or student savings.
In 2022, there were 5,613 students selected as National College Match Finalists out of more than 17,900 applications.
Boateng was one of 1,755 finalists who matched with a college or university.
Boateng started his QuestBridge journey as a junior through the College Prep Scholars program, which equipped him with resources and connected him with peers across the country going through the National College Match’s application process.
He was interested in universities where he could explore his fascination in the cognitive sciences and ultimately prepare him to become a doctor.
“I’m interested in the profession — being able to help people while pursuing medicine which I find intriguing,” he said.
To learn more about the profession, he has volunteered at a local hospital during the summer and shadowed physicians.
At WNHS, Boateng has been Involved in multiple clubs and student organizations. He currently serves as president of the Interact Club and is involved in the Black Student Union and National Honor Society.
Boateng said he is focused on finishing the rest of his senior year strong. And he is excited at what the future holds.
“I feel really proud of myself,” he said. “Getting accepted into one of my dream schools makes me glad. I’m really excited to be there.”
