PEORIA, Ill. – Two Richwoods High School students have earned full-ride scholarships to Ivy League universities.
The pair earned them through the QuestBridge National College Match program, which supports high-achieving students in low-income backgrounds.
Johnny Thai will study pre-med with a neuroscience focus at the University of Pennsylvania, and tells 25 News a family tragedy inspired his educational direction.
“A close relative of mine had passed away due to a stroke, and that incident created a calling to me. That’s why I’m intending to pursue neuroscience,” Thai said.
Thai says receiving the scholarship lifts a major financial burden for his parents and himself, and will allow him to focus on his studies.
The other student, Kevin Liao, will study physics at Princeton University.
“I’ve always been curious about the natural world, especially since you use so much of this technology. It’s just so interesting how physics can apply to everything that you do in your life. I just really wanted to learn more about that,” Liao said.
Liao says the support of his family and friends was important to give him the confidence to apply, but credits his older sister as an inspiration.
A third Peoria Public Schools’ student also qualified for QuestBridge, but is waiting to choose their school until spring 2026.
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