Questbridge Scholar Announced
Saw Gee Dow Sow, senior at North High and Central Academy, has earned a four-year full-ride scholarship through the Questbridge National College Match program that includes tuition, fees, housing, food, books, supplies, and travel expenses. He was matched with the prestigious Colorado College!
Questbridge’s application process is designed to find students from low-income backgrounds who have excelled academically and remove all the financial barriers to attending top colleges and universities.
Saw taught his teachers the word, “Saw-tastic!” When I interviewed them, they said, “He sees people.” “He is delightfully insightful. His contributions are fascinating. He is inquisitive and perceptive.” “He has strong opinions, but he listens and changes his perspective through discourse and discovery.” “Saw has an inquisitive mind, he likes to know how and why things work.” “He is a classroom leader because he is always asking questions of himself, of his classmates, and of his teachers.” “Saw has accomplished big goals by viewing every classroom activity as a learning opportunity, constantly reflecting on his progress, celebrating his small wins along the way, and knowing that sometimes the path to understanding is filled with twists and turns.”
Of course, Saw is an excellent student. He has taken classes at Central Academy for the last 5 years including 11 AP courses spanning Language Arts, Sciences, Histories, Governments, Economics, as well as the AP Capstone courses for our most accomplished students. He has also taken advantage of opportunities in Robotics, engineering design, and aviation at Central Campus. He has many interests and is considering careers in political science, molecular biology, medical science, and law. He is serving as a page at the Capitol next semester. It is fair to say that Saw is “Interested” with a capital I.
One skill that sets Saw apart is that he digs deep into his interests. For example, in 10th grade he participated in a Youth Leadership Initiative class at North, which led him to the organization March for Our Lives Iowa where he became the Co-Director of Diversity, Equity, Intersectionality, and Organizing. He says, “the greatest aspect of my role is “intersectionality” because of my passion for both Mental Health and ending Gun Violence”.
Saw will tell you he was not always so confident and outgoing. But he learned his tenacity from his parents who immigrated to the United States to flee an unending civil war. With their unwavering support he stepped out of his comfort zone, asked questions, met so many wonderful people, and took advantage of many opportunities. And next year he’ll continue his journey at Colorado College!