MILWAUKEE — Sam Sanchez Trujillo, a senior at Cristo Rey High School on Milwaukee's south side, has been awarded the competitive QuestBridge scholarship, providing her a full ride to the University of Notre Dame.
"This opportunity is everything," Sanchez Trujillo said.
The QuestBridge scholarship connects low-income families making less than $65,000 a year with leading schools across the country. For Sanchez Trujillo, whose family relies on her older brother as the sole provider, this achievement is life-changing.
"To me, he is a role model, just because he didn't get to go to college, I know he would've loved that opportunity, and I see that as a role model because I'm going to take advantage of that opportunity for him in a way," Sanchez Trujillo said.
Sanchez Trujillo's academic achievements at Cristo Rey have been remarkable. In just the last two years, she has completed eight AP classes while participating in the school's robotics team, which helped spark her interest in engineering.
Watch: Cristo Rey student earns full-ride scholarship to Notre Dame through hard work
Vazquez has witnessed Sanchez Trujillo's growth throughout her high school journey.
"When I think about Sam, I see a student who is smart, she's witty too, quick on her feet, very quick on her feet as well," Vazquez said.
Vazquez said scholarships like these are important, especially for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
"This is an opportunity for them to be recognized, this is an opportunity for them to gain access, and this means the world," Vazquez said.
As graduation approaches, Sanchez Trujillo reflects on the broader impact of her achievement.
"College isn't an opportunity everyone can have, so I'm really proud of myself for being able to do that for them as well," Sanchez Trujillo said.
The Cristo Rey community continues to celebrate Sanchez Trujillo's accomplishment as she prepares for the next chapter of her educational journey at Notre Dame.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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