Seniors Samuel Ye and Thomas Mach were chosen for the Questbridge Scholarship.
Samuel Ye is going to pursue electrical engineering and computing at MIT.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity they have given. MIT has been my dream college since before freshman year.”
It’s something new for Samuel, feeling nervous, but also a tinge of excitement for what awaits him.
“To be honest, I’m kind of scared. Not only is it across the country, but I won’t know anyone there. The weather is going to be completely different; I won’t be able to see my family, but at the same time I can’t wait to meet new people, join clubs.”
Math teacher Mr. Tony Wong was also present at the time with Samuel when opening the Questbridge acceptance letter.
“People often look at a full scholarship and call it ‘luck,’ but I saw the relentless effort behind the scenes. He didn’t just win a lottery; he proved he belonged at one of the best institutions in the world through sheer merit,” Mr. Wong said.
“In a world where everyone wants to be noticed, Samuel’s quiet brilliance is what truly makes him stand out.”
Dr. Patricia Filamoa, Samuel’s counselor, was also in the room when he opened the Questbridge acceptance letter.
His passion for math exceeds anyone’s imagination; taking dual enrollment classes and community classes relating to math.
“Samuel is a unique, hard-working, as most of Arroyo’s students are, but what sets Samuel apart and helped him get this scholarship is because Samuel went beyond what Arroyo had to offer.”
“I knew in my heart he was going to get Questbridge, and then I had the privilege of being in Mr Wong’s classroom when he opened it, I think it was December 1, and it was around lunchtime along with his friends and me and Mrs.Vasquez, and Mr. Wong, and he opened and it was so beautiful to see.”
“He had his MIT sweatshirt on, and then when he got in, everyone is jumping and even me, silly at my age, and then his friends put the MIT cap on him. It was such a rewarding thing for a counselor to see someone get a distinguished honor.”
Mrs. Susan Vaniman, a sophomore and junior English teacher, helped Samuel throughout the application process.
“That eagerness to truly grasp the material, rather than simply get through it, is something that cannot be taught. It comes from within, and Samuel had it from day one.”
“Success doesn’t require a perfect score or a natural-born talent; it requires persistence, honesty about your purpose, and the willingness to put in the work even when it’s hard. Like I always say, “Time + Effort = Success.” The path won’t always be easy, but if you are driven by something real, that drive will carry you further than any test score ever could.”
Thomas Mach, another Questbridge recipient, will be attending Northwestern University to pursue his major in mechanical engineering, focusing on aerospace.
“It was unbelievable; I was in shock, and that day I had to check multiple times because I thought it was unbelievable.”
“I am hoping to graduate with a mechanical engineering degree, and I am also hoping to maybe find a major which I am interested in, maybe double major.”
With support from family and faculty, Thomas Mach was able to pursue his education at Northwestern.
“I would like to thank my family and all their support, especially my mom and my sister. I want to thank all of the faculty at Arroyo High School, who gave me all the support, and I want to thank my AP teachers, especially Mr. Wong, with all his support and his letter of recommendation.”
Mrs. Laura Vasquez, Thomas Mach’s counselor, speaks on her reaction and role in Thomas’s acceptance into Questbridge.
“For as long as I’ve known Thomas, he’s wanted to work in aerodynamics, he’s very interested in space travel, and I think that’s what makes you stand out cause when you’re writing, because when Questbridge, you have to write a lot and then they’re looking for letters of recommendations from me and other teacher, but he has so much extracurricular with aero dynamics.”
“And it’s because of kids like him, that other kids are going to see ‘oh, you know maybe I never had the dream to go to college because I never had the money, but like Thomas who has the drive, and the will to do really well in school, if I have that drive and that will, I can go to Questbridge, and get something really beneficial.”
“Thomas has always been kind of steady. He has always been a very steady student and has always been very polite. He’s a great family young man. He has a great little sister, who’s here now too, and he’s just been a great big brother and has been a great help to his mom, cause she’s working and having to take care of the family, and he has helped his sister and his family. He’s helped with buying groceries, things like that; he’s just very responsible.”
