FONTANA, CA – Three Henry J. Kaiser High School seniors are one step closer to earning a full scholarship to college after being named named QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship finalists.

David Aguilar, Marco Garcia and Sonia Heyer are among nearly 7,000 students across the United States chosen as finalists, including two seniors from Jurupa Hills High School. Finalists are selected from a pool of more 18,000 students who apply to participating universities for free and are considered for early admission and a four-year full scholarship.

“David, Marco and Sonia are all standout students who continue to impress us with their achievement and passion,” Kaiser High Principal Terry Abernathy said. “They are all very deserving of this scholarship, and we are cheering on our Kaiser Cats as they pursue their dreams.”

Aguilar plays in the Kaiser Catamount Pride Band and Color Guard and has been selected to play in the Tournament of Roses Honor Band, the San Bernardino County Basin Honor Band and the John Phillip Sousa Honor Band at Riverside City College. As part of the Academic Decathlon team, Aguilar earned a bronze medal for his knowledge in social science. He also serves as a senior representative in the California Scholarship Federation and member of the National Honor Society.

Aguilar plans to study political science in college and become a politician, serving as a voice for the unheard and uplifting his community.

“It feels great to be a finalist,” Aguilar said. “It is a huge achievement, and it feels rewarding to see all my work these past four years finally pay off.”

Garcia is also musically inclined, serving as a section leader and vice president in the Kaiser Catamount Pride Band and Color Guard, as well as first chair in the wind ensemble. He has also played in the San Bernardino County Basin Honor Band for three years and the John Phillip Sousa Honor Band in his sophomore year.

Garcia is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish club and Academic Decathlon team. He hopes to major in biology, a love he discovered after taking AP Biology at Kaiser, and to attend medical school.

“It feels great to be a part of this honor, and although I am nervous, I am excited to see where this opportunity takes me,” Garcia said. “The scholarship would also allow me to be a part of the QuestBridge scholar community at the school, and having a strong community is important for me as it will allow me to enjoy my college campus.”

Heyer is an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) student who plays tennis, mentors her peers in Link Crew, plays in the orchestra and is a member of Key Club, National Honor Society and the Early Academic Outreach Program. She hopes to explore her longtime artistic interests and new fascination with the human mind by studying digital humanities or psychology in college.

“Being matched and receiving the scholarship would be a dream come true, as I will be able to attend college without burdening my parents financially and become part of an amazingly diverse community of scholars,” Heyer said. “In the future, I hope to be able to use the skills I learn in college to get a job that will make me happy while allowing me to support and give back to my parents.”

The QuestBridge National College Match is a college admission and scholarship process through which high-achieving, low-income students can be admitted early with full four-year scholarships to QuestBridge college partners. Students are asked to rank up to 12 colleges. December 1 is Match Day, when finalists find out if they have been chosen by a QuestBridge college partner.

PHOTO CAPTION:

FUSD_KAISER_QUESTBRIDGE: Henry J. Kaiser High School seniors David Aguilar, Marco Garcia and Sonia Heyer have been named QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship finalists, placing them one step closer to earning a full scholarship to an elite university.