Full-ride scholarships for some first-generation college students will be life-changing

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The success of Houston's young Black and Hispanic people will impact the overall success of the city of Houston. That's according to demographics expert and founding director of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Dr. Stephen Klineberg, who has spent decades studying the Houston population.

The latest Census data shows that 70% of all people under 20 in Harris County are Black or Hispanic. Dr. Klineberg says those are the two groups most likely to be living in poverty, which has huge impacts on a person's ability to succeed in the public school system. Census data confirms nearly 25% of both Black and Hispanic families are living below the poverty level in Harris County.

We found a group of KIPP High School students who are working hard to challenge those odds. Seven students of different ethnic backgrounds, all from low-income and first-generation American families, are gearing up to head off to college in the fall. Yale, Boston, Stanford, Notre Dame are just some of the places they'll be headed on full-ride scholarships through the Questbridge National College Match Scholarship Program. The Questbridge program received close to 18,000 applications from students all over the country. This year 1,755 students were recognized as scholarship recipients.

The Questbridge Program is aimed at helping outstanding high school seniors who are economically disadvantaged gain admission and full four-year scholarships to some of the most selective colleges and universities in the country. It's a rigorous program that looks at transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation and numerous student essays.

"A lot of these students and kids go through way more that even you've gone through as an adult. They've experienced hardships, they've experienced having to mature earlier than most. Some of them work to help support their families. Their stories are amazing," said their college counselor, Dinah Gray.

Dr. Klineberg says these success stories aren't happening often enough. And he says projections show Houston's current diversity is a reflection of what America will look like in 30 years, so how Houston faces that challenge will have a huge impact on not just Houston, but America.

"Well, what's interesting of course is that all across America, this diversity is occurring. The Census has a projection of what the American population will look like in 2050 and it's basically the description of Houston today," Klineberg explained. "It's a tremendous advantage for Houston to be a gateway to the global marketplace and a microcosm of all the world's people. Or it could tear us apart and become a major liability depending on how we respond to the challenge and opportunities of investing in the skills of these kids who will be the future of Houston."

Students who received the scholarships this year are:

KIPP Houston High School - Aaron Cordoba: Amherst College

KIPP Houston High School - Mary Aririguzo: Scripps College

KIPP Houston High School - Dyana Sanchez: University of Notre Dame

KIPP Houston High School - Daenna Gonzalez: Stanford University

KIPP Houston High School - Joseph Parada Calix: Denison University

KIPP Northeast College Preparatory - Daisy Garcia: Yale University

KIPP Connect High School - Cesar Ferrer: Boston University