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Providence High School seniors set scholarship record at over $13 million

It's time to brag on one of our local schools: Providence Catholic School, an all-girls school, set a record this year for the amount of scholarships earned by its students.

It's time to brag on one of our local schools: Providence Catholic School, an all-girls school, set a record this year for the amount of scholarships earned by its students.

One senior, alone, had scholarships totaling more than $1 million.

Providence senior Lilah Qubrosi has life pretty much planned out.

"I plan to pursue a MB/PhD, so hopefully after the four years of engineering, I'll be off to med school and starting the next four years,” said Qubrosi, the class Salutatorian.

Come fall, Qubrosi is headed to Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

"I'll be majoring in electrical engineering with a biomedical specialization,” Qubrosi noted.

Qubrosi is the first student from Providence to get into the Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy at the UT Health Science Center of San Antonio.

"We're excited, we're overwhelmed,” said Qubrosi’s mom, Celeste Scalise-Qubrosi. “It wasn't until we added up the scholarships that we realized she was over $1 million."

To be exact, Qubrosi earned $1,021,980 in scholarships.

"She has always been self-motivated,” Scalise-Qubrosi said. “It's not our pressure, but the pressure she's put on herself to succeed."

It's a big year for Providence Catholic School. Their graduating class of 52 students earned over $13 million in scholarships so far, and that’s a record.

Qubrosi says that she chose SMU because of its similarities to Providence.

"Small community, great support system,” she said. “I talked to the assistant dean of the engineering school whose mother is actually a Providence Alumni. Go Provets!"

The class list didn't seem intimidating.

"Thermodynamics,” Qubrosi said.

“Differential equations,” recalled Qubrosi’s father, Kyle, who also took engineering classes.

“Calculus II, calculus III, organic chemistry for pre-med," Qubrosi listed.

Qubrosi is pursuing her dreams, with a big support system comprised of her parents and her 51 classmates she calls family.

"I have 51 other sisters,” Qubrosi said. “As an only child, that's something that's really great."

Every graduating senior of Providence Catholic School has been accepted to college. Many earned big scholarships thanks to the help of counselor Evelyn Griess.

KENS 5 interviewed four more seniors on Wednesday morning, each of whom earned at least $250,000 in scholarships.

"We're a very competitive class, definitely. We're always trying to one-up each other!" said senior, Esther Knodell, who earned an estimated $250,000 in scholarships.

Seniors credit the passionate teachers at Providence Catholic School for their success.

"They don't just teach you about subjects, they teach you about life, as cheesy as that sounds! I am the person I am today because of my teachers,” said Flora Naylor, who will attend Wellesley College in the fall. “To study geochemistry. I'm also going to be a D-III athlete there. I'm going to run cross country and do track and field."

"Our school tells us that women are important and women have a role in society and we have a voice that needs to be heard,” said senior Valedictorian Gabriela Trevino, who earned an estimated $800,000 in scholarships.

Trevino will attend Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, double-majoring in art and computer science.

"I'd like to use my two somewhat conflicting majors, art and computer Science, to show kids that fine arts and technology don't have to be separate spheres,” Trevino explained. “You can combine them and create really great things."

Knodell will attend Texas A&M University in the fall, majoring in education.

"I would like to teach high school because that's where I feel comfortable, and the teachers here have really made a huge significance on that choice,” she said.

Naylor plans to pursue a career as a geological engineer and attend future classes at MIT.

"Just be a woman in the science field, which is something very important,” she said. “The confidence to do that is something that Providence has instilled in me."

Student Council President, Esabella Irby, will attend the University of Denver in Colorado. She will major in computer science with a minor in leadership.

"I hope to bring technology to those in third world countries,” said Irby, who earned an estimated $700,000 in scholarships. “I took a trip to Guatemala my junior year, and just looking at the poverty there and all the things they struggle through, I want to help them."

School officials said that 85 percent of seniors earned some type of scholarship or grant, and more could be on the way.

We asked the young ladies, in one word, to describe the feeling of walking the stage on graduation day.

"Blessed,” Knodell said.

"Grateful,” Qubrosi said.

"Accomplished,” Irby said.

"Ready,” Trevino said.

"Hopeful,” Naylor said. "I think we are truly a class that will change the world."

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