For the Reporter

Kent-Meridian High School graduate Manuel Marroquin has been awarded a full, four-year QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame.

“QuestBridge allowed me to not have to take into account the cost of tuition, which greatly relieved a large amount of pressure from me and from my family’s shoulders,” Marroquin said.

Marroquin’s family is from El Salvador, and have been in the United States under temporary protected status after a devastating earthquake struck El Salvador in 2001. “All their lives my parents have been working in order to provide for my family as well as family back in El Salvador, frequently sending money to help alleviate the poverty faced in the country,” Marroquin said.

Marroquin plans to study computer science and go into software engineering.

Elsewhere

Kent’s Jennifer Conner, a student at Seattle University, was among five winners of A Place for Mom’s annual college scholarship contest. APFM, one of the nation’s largest senior living referral services, launched its Senior Care Innovation Scholarship program in 2013 to encourage student interest in the senior living field. Conner was chosen from a pool of 300 eligible applicants to receive a $1,000 scholarship each toward their studies.