Haby Thiam
Bonner Scholarship
Spelman College, Class of 2028 
Parkway Center City Middle College, Class of 2026
The night I submitted my admissions application, I went home 
and searched, “How do I get a full ride to Spelman College?”  
I was prepared to work hard because I knew I deserved it.  
The Bonner Scholarship was meant for low-income students 
like me, and its mission of helping communities resonated 
strongly with me. I put everything I had into the application:  
I wrote my essays about something I knew people would  
remember; my teachers read over my essays countless times; 
and I made sure my video stood out and that I was being  
myself. Thanks to the Bonner Scholarship, I received enough aid, 
along with some small external scholarships, to attend Spelman 
on a full ride. I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to 
earn my education for free while giving back to the community. 
My advice is if you really want it, go after it. Scholarships can 
truly change your life. There are so many scholarships out there 
if you take the time to search for them. And remember: closed 
mouths don’t get fed.
“If you really want 
it, go after it.”
Robel Dilnessa
QuestBridge Scholarship
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2030
The Shipley School, Class of 2026
I learned about QuestBridge the summer before my sophomore 
year through a Heights summer program when our mentor 
gave us advice on scholarship websites and college programs  
he knew about. QuestBridge was one of them, and I held onto 
that information until my senior year, when I actually applied.  
The application took quite a bit of time and needed me to  
answer a lot of different questions, especially regarding my 
family’s financial background, as well as a few essays and 
short-answer questions. The QuestBridge scholarship covers 
almost all of my expenses, including tuition, fees, housing, etc. 
The only requirement I have is to complete a Federal Work-Study 
for $2,500 per year, but this is solely to cover some of my  
indirect costs, such as transportation, books, supplies, etc.  
My advice is to talk with those around you and spend time 
searching for scholarships online. Ask your teachers and friends 
about scholarships and programs they know about. If it weren't 
for that random conversation three years ago, I might have 
never learned about QuestBridge. Don't be afraid to ask!
“The Questbridge 
Scholarship covers 
almost all of  
my expenses.”
A Word From Local Scholarship Recipients
We asked recent scholarship recipients from Philadelphia to tell us about their experiences in finding,  
applying for, and receiving scholarships.
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