Lamar Consolidated High School (LCHS) seniors Bryant Valladares and Tia Moore were recently selected as QuestBridge College Match Scholarship recipients. Valladares will attend Yale University and Moore will attend the University of Chicago.

QuestBridge is a national non-profit organization that connects the nation's most exceptional youth with leading colleges and opportunities. Scholarship recipients are granted admission to one of QuestBridge's partner colleges with a full, four-year scholarship worth more than $200,000. Partner colleges use a combination of their own funds as well as state and federal aid to fund the scholarship. 

Partner colleges include Brown, the California Institute of Technology, Columbia, Dartmouth, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Notre Dame, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, Southern California, Vanderbilt and Yale.

QuestBridge scholarships include:

• Tuition and fees;
• Room and board;
• Books and supplies; and
• Travel expenses.

This year, over 14,900 students applied for the QuestBridge scholarship and Valladares and Moore were two of only 1,127 students selected as Match Scholarship Recipients.

Valladares says he is excited to continue in a season of growth as he transitions from high school to college. With plans to major in Biology or Computer Science, his current goals are to become a pharmaceutical engineer, help develop the field of artificial intelligence or work in programming.

While at LCHS, Valladares has served as an active member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, AP Ambassadors, the Mustang Band and Drumline, Wintergard and a member of the swim team.

Valladares says his biggest takeaways from LCHS are immense feelings of pride and gratitude.

“It’s truly remarkable to be the very person that would have inspired myself as a freshman” said Valladares. “I’ve experienced and witnessed so much growth in these halls. I’m looking forward to continuing to grow and continuing to help others grow as well.”

Moore says she feels as though she and Valladares are setting a great example for the Mustangs to follow.

“We’re two of the first LCHS graduates to receive this honor and be accepted into prestigious universities as undergraduate students,” stated Moore. “We know we’re not limited by our surroundings and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be someone students like myself can look up to as they complete high school.”

Moore has plans to double major in Business Economics and either Political Science or International Relations. She aspires to work in a field involving relations among various delegations. During her time as a Mustang, Moore has served as a member of the Technology Student Association, Student Council, AP Ambassadors and a member of the wrestling team.

For more information on the QuestBridge College Match Scholarship, click here.