Chosen for her extraordinary academic and leadership potential, Viviana Quezada ’18 is receiving a full scholarship to attend the prestigious University of Michigan through The Posse Foundation.
Holy Trinity High School is proud to announce that Viviana Quezada ’18 has been named a Posse Scholar and will be attending University of Michigan this fall with a four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarship.
“Viviana is a talented, intelligent and well-rounded young woman who knows how to set and achieve goals. We are incredibly proud of the unwavering discipline and excellence she has exhibited, academically and beyond, throughout her four years at Holy Trinity,” says Principal Marianne Lynch. “This recognition by The Posse Foundation is a just reward for her hard work. As her HT family, we can’t wait to see the leader and change agent Viviana will become as she pursues her dreams.”
An Audrey Raitt scholar, Viviana has excelled academically and athletically during her four years at Holy Trinity. She has played varsity volleyball for four years while enrolling in the rigorous B-STEM honors curriculum and maintained her spot on the Principal’s Honors List, HT’s top academic recognition, throughout. She also received the IHSA Academic Achievement Award her sophomore year and the NFTE Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award her junior year. During summer breaks, Viviana participated in the Smith College Summer Program and an internship at the Institute of Food Technologists. She regularly volunteers through the National Honors Society and at the Chicago Marathon.
As a Posse Scholar, Viviana will receive pre-campus training and on-campus leadership and career development. In light of this incredible opportunity, we asked Viviana to share her thoughts:
What does it mean to you to be awarded a Posse scholarship?
It means everything to be awarded a Posse scholarship. It is shocking to think that I was chosen out of 3,000 nominees. I have always been hard on myself in school and worked endlessly to maintain a high GPA. Along with all of that, I was involved in school with sports and other activities which could be very stressful. When I found out I was given the scholarship it felt as though a weight was lifted off my shoulders. All of this hard work has finally paid off but that does not mean that my journey ends here.
Why is the University of Michigan a good fit for you? What are you most looking forward to?
I have always wanted to go to the University of Michigan. It is a good distance from home, just 4 hours away. It is close enough if I want to come back to Chicago and visit but I am also able to be independent there. They are so many clubs and activities to participate in, too. When I visited U of M, I loved the atmosphere and environment. It mixes academics with entertainment and has a great balance. The “Big House,” which is home to Michigan’s football team, adds to the school and I am excited for the games. Michigan is one of the top universities because of their level of education and this is amazing. Last but not least, there is almost 40,000 people and I am able to learn from them.
How do you think Holy Trinity High School prepared you for Posse and college?
Holy Trinity has showed me how to be a respectful, intelligent, professional and kind person. I was given a lot of opportunities to build my resume and was taught the skills to handle an interview, which was a large part of the Posse process. I can present myself very well, and HT has helped me become a well-rounded person. Everyone is very supportive which made me remain positive through each step.
You have indicated you will major in biology or chemistry and go on to be a pathologist. What led you to that career path?
I want to be a pathologist because each science course that I have taken has inspired me, especially Mrs. Lohenry’s anatomy class that I took my junior year. She really went into detail and I understood everything. It might have taken some time, but I got it. Also, pathology involves diseases and ultimately helps the medical field. I wanted to add to the world and give back. Many people in my family have had medical issues and I am thankful for the people that help in the medical field, so I wanted to become one.
Any additional thoughts?
I would love to thank so many different people who have been here through everything and help me grow and develop as a person. To my parents, who work so hard and still support me every day. Thank you for being there to help, no matter what time it is, and listen to me. You truly show me unconditional love. To my brother, thank you for believing in me and, even though it may not show a lot, being proud of me. To my teachers and the staff who have supported me at Holy Trinity, thank you for making school a place to build on my intelligence and also helping whenever I needed it. Each teacher is very supportive and pushed me to succeed throughout my high school journey. Finally, thanks to my friends, who have been there through everything. I could not ask for a better group of people. Darius, Fatima, Abiola, Sui, Sakayah and Silvia, there have been some stressful times when I just wanted to give up, but you kept me going and I will forever be grateful.
