Waukegan High School senior Victor Hinojosa has been awarded a full four-year scholarship to the University of Chicago through the prestigious QuestBridge National College Match program. The scholarship, which covers tuition, room, board, and other essential expenses, is awarded to fewer than 10% of applicants nationwide. 

Victor’s academic and extracurricular achievements reflect his dedication to excellence and leadership. Victor served for 18 months as the Student Board Member for Waukegan Public Schools, where he advocated for peers and contributed to initiatives aimed at enhancing the school community. He also contributed to state-level education policy as a two-year member of the Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory Council. He also serves as the Operations & Training Officer for the school’s JROTC Bulldog Regiment. 

Victor expressed his gratitude for the support received from staff, including Mr. Justin Sanabria his Counselor, and Bari Schwartz, College and Career Counselor at Washington Campus, his family, and the Waukegan community. "I am honored to have been selected as a QuestBridge Scholar and am excited to join the University of Chicago community. This opportunity will allow me to pursue my academic and career goals without financial burden, and I am incredibly thankful to everyone who has supported me along the way." 

“We are incredibly proud of Victor Hinojosa for this well-deserved recognition,” said Daniel Hill, Co-Principal of Waukegan High School. “His dedication to academic excellence and leadership within our school district has been truly inspiring. We have no doubt that Victor will continue to excel and make significant contributions at the University of Chicago and beyond.”

The QuestBridge program connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds to full scholarships at top colleges and universities. This year, over 25,500 students applied, with just 2,627 receiving the prestigious Match Scholarship.