Waukegan High School seniors Yasir Espinoza and Javier Granda have earned full four-year scholarships through the QuestBridge National College Match program, a national college access program that partners with leading colleges and universities to offer full scholarships to outstanding students.

Yasir matched with Northwestern University, and Javier matched with Princeton University, securing early admission and full scholarships that cover the entire cost of attendance. The QuestBridge Match Scholarship includes tuition, housing and meals, books and supplies, and travel expenses.

This year, only 2,550 students nationwide were selected as QuestBridge Match Scholars, making Yasir and Javier’s accomplishment especially noteworthy.

Javier plans to attend Princeton University to study Mechanical Engineering. He is a member of the National Honor Society and active in several extracurricular activities, including Scholastic Bowl, Chess Club, and JLAB. He also serves as Chief of Staff for JROTC. He hopes to use his education to give back to his school and community.

“I want to give back to everyone who's helped me along the way. Give back to my school, programs, and town. I would ultimately want to encourage other students to want to learn and achieve their dreams,” Javier said.

Yasir will attend Northwestern University, where he plans to major in neuroscience or biological sciences on a Pre-Med track. He is a member of the National Honor Society, a JROTC leader, and the Armed Drill Team Commander. Yasir hopes to pursue a career in medicine and continue serving his community.

“When I saw I matched with Northwestern, I was extremely happy because it would be close to Waukegan. It was also a huge sigh of relief, and it really proved to me that it's possible for someone of any background to chase an aspiration,” Yasir said.

The QuestBridge Match awards are among the most competitive undergraduate scholarships in the country. Yasir and Javier will enroll at their respective universities as members of the Class of 2030.