Five New Rochelle Teens Snag Full-Ride Scholarships Worth Nearly $2,000,000

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (December 4, 2025) — Five New Rochelle High School seniors have won coveted QuestBridge National College Match scholarships, landing full-ride packages valued at nearly $2 million apiece to some of the nation’s top universities.

Sophia Fuentes, Melony Dianeth Escobar, Daniella Anane-Sarfo, Carlos Del Aguila and Bryan Rolando Mesajil were among 2,550 students nationwide selected as Match Scholarship Recipients. The scholarships cover tuition, housing, food, books, supplies and travel expenses for four years.

Fuentes will attend the University of Pennsylvania to study neuroscience. Escobar is headed to Northwestern University for biomedical engineering. Anane-Sarfo matched with Colgate University, where she plans to major in biology or neuroscience on a pre-med track. Del Aguila, the student government president and a first-generation college student, will study applied mathematics with a focus on sociology at Harvard University. Mesajil, also first-generation, earned a spot at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue mechanical engineering.

“Even if you don’t come from a position of privilege in college admissions, and even if you don’t believe you’re the one to do it, just give it a shot. It’s possible,” Del Aguila said.

Mesajil called his MIT match “an unbelievable outcome.”

Four of the five winners participate in New Rochelle High School’s nationally recognized Science Research Program.

“To cultivate five QuestBridge Scholars in a single graduating class shatters our wildest expectations,” Superintendent Dr. Corey W. Reynolds said. “This is the powerful culmination of the tireless collective work and unwavering commitment of our K-12 educators and support professionals.”

New Rochelle High School Principal Dr. Dagoberto Artiles added the achievement “validates the rigorous, high-caliber education we deliver every day.”

QuestBridge Co-Founder and CEO Ana Rowena Mallari said the 2025 recipients “embody excellence in so many ways” and will “make a positive impact” on their lives, families and communities.

This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.