BHS Senior Receives Full Scholarship to Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Berkley High School senior Emile Jenkins was recently notified from QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship program that not only had he been admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but that he also received a full scholarship to attend. The Match Scholarship is made up of a generous financial aid package provided by the college partner that covers the full cost of attendance, including tuition, housing and food, books and supplies and travel expenses.

QuestBridge connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with a thriving community and transformative educational, career, and life opportunities that help propel them to lives of fulfillment, meaning and purpose.

Emile’s BHS counselor Robyn Weiss shared, “Emile’s accomplishments are impressive, especially given the context of this year’s application cycle. Out of over 25,500 applicants, QuestBridge selected 7,288 Finalists to be considered for the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship.” This year, QuestBridge’s 52 college partners matched with 2,627 Finalists, who are recognized as Match Scholarship Recipients.

Emile shared his reaction to the exciting news, “To be completely honest, I didn’t even think I would actually be a QuestBridge National College Match finalist, let alone actually match to a university. On the day where they announced the results, I was constantly checking my email at school and playing through different scenarios in my head…When I did come home to find out that I had matched with MIT, I was in shock, but also relieved. All in all, despite getting accepted into a prestigious institution, the most important part of this scholarship for me is the money. Given my family’s financial status, going to college was pretty up in the air, and even if I did go to college, I would most likely incur quite a bit of debt. This scholarship was the light for me that I didn’t have to go through those struggles.”

Emile is planning on majoring in mathematics, focusing on pure mathematics, and plans on taking classes to learn the Japanese language.

Emile also shared that his scholarship and achievement hasn’t been afforded to him by pure hard work and dedication. “I’m white, born male, and live in a relatively comfortable middle-class suburb. Though I may not have gone to a private high school … and hired experts in creating the best college applications, luck and privilege still has been a pretty important factor in obtaining the QuestBridge scholarship. Just because I found success in applying to a near-Ivy institution while not being made of money, that doesn’t mean this system isn’t rigged for the people in the upper echelon of society. With that in mind, I want this achievement to not be seen as part of some greater rags to riches story, but a small part of my life that I hope one day to be seen as a common occurrence in a much greater society,” Emile said.

Visit the QuestBridge website to learn more about this scholarship program.