Seven Malden High students receive total of over $2 million in full scholarships to college

MHS seniors set school record for number of recipients of Posse and Questbridge Scholarships; All receiving full, 4-year academic grants

By Steve Freker

If you see a contingent of Malden High School seniors from the Class of 2024 walking around with big smiles on their faces that just will not go away, there is a great reason.

These seven students have just been informed they have been selected to receive full, 4-year academic scholarships to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation.

In all, the full scholarships add up to over $2 million in full grants, covering all costs: tuition, fees, room and board.

What about the colleges and universities they are headed?  Tufts University, Centre College (Kentucky), Union College (N.Y.), Rutgers University (N.J.) and Bryn Mawr College (Pa.).

The students are all Malden High seniors and include: Catherine Alayne (Centre College), Fnu Dolkar Tsering (Bryn Mawr College), Nathan Dean (Rutgers), Thomas Ghile (Union College), Damien Josephat (Centre College), Zhiqiang “Phillip” Li (Tufts) and Zeng Yu (Tufts).

Alayne, Dolkar Tsering, Dean, Ghile and Josephat were awarded their full scholarships through the Posse Scholarship program.

Five selectees from Malden High equals the school mark for full scholarships from the Posse program, the most in five years, according to MHS administrators.

Li and Yu were recipients of the Questbridge Match Scholarships program, another national program where Malden High students have received scholarships in the past.

“We were amazed and so proud and excited when we were informed of these scholarship awards,” said Malden High School seventh-year Principal Chris Mastrangelo. “What a tremendous honor for these students and a huge impact on their families, for saving the full cost of their college educations.”

“On top of all of this, these are some of the best places of higher learning in the nation,” Mastrangelo added, “and it is all a result of the education they have received at Malden High School and the support of their families.”

Mastrangelo gave special thanks to Malden Public Schools Director of Guidance Erin Craven and the Malden High Guidance Department for shepherding the seven students and the many other MHS seniors who also applied, through the lengthy process.

“I am so happy and my family is just thrilled about this,” Josephat, one of the Posse Scholarship recipients who was also a member of the Malden High football team, said. “It was a long and tough process applying for this scholarship, but of course it was all worth it. This is really going to help me and my family so much. It is incredible, really, hard to express in words what this means.”

To be eligible for national Posse Scholarship program, a high school senior must:
—Be nominated by their high school or a community-based organization
—Be in the first term of their senior year in high school
—Demonstrate leadership within their high school, community or family
—Demonstrate academic potential
—Apply on time; depending on the Posse city or program, nominations are accepted in the spring and summer before senior year begins (contact your local Posse office for specific deadlines)
—The Posse Scholarship is neither a minority nor a need-based scholarship. It is open to students of all backgrounds.
Posse seeks students who are:
—Leaders in their high schools and communities
—Committed to their education and those who demonstrate academic potential
Interested in teamwork and diversity
—Positive, motivated, talented, ambitious young people

The Questbridge Match Scholarship Program is another national program.

“I know and hope all of their teachers, guidance counselors and administrators who have guided these students through their four years at MHS can share in the pride and honor associated with these scholarships,” Mastrangelo said.

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