By Jaclyn Holloway
Knoxville Catholic High School senior Genevieve Jenkins recently earned a full-ride scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania through QuestBridge National College Match, one of the most competitive scholarship programs in the country.
The good news came while she was sitting in her family’s car with her mother just outside KCHS during lunchtime, holding a letter that would determine her next four years. For months, she had poured her heart into grueling hours of essays, interviews, and preparation for a chance at the scholarship, and the letter would reveal whether she had been chosen and whether she had matched with her dream university in the University of Pennsylvania.
QuestBridge, a national nonprofit founded more than 30 years ago, connects exceptional students from low-income backgrounds with educational, career, and life-changing opportunities. This year, 2,550 high-achieving seniors matched with QuestBridge’s 55 college partners earning early admission and a full four-year scholarship covering tuition, housing, meals, books, supplies, and travel, with no loans and no parent contribution, only access, opportunity, and the promise of a brighter future.
Genevieve comes from a large Catholic family, and the opportunity represented something much bigger than a scholarship.
“My mom’s way smarter than she’s ever been allowed to express and never had opportunities like I have. But she always gave me every opportunity to actually succeed,” she said. “She’s one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met and works around the clock just to make sure that all of us kids have everything we need and so we are able to have a Catholic education.”
Tears, joy, and disbelief came all at once after she opened the letter.
“Never in 100,000 years did I think I was going to get into an Ivy League school, let alone on a full ride,” Genevieve said. “That is the kind of thing that happens to other people. It’s like winning the lottery in terms of academics, but it happened to me, and I’m still in disbelief.”
Her school counselor, Melinda Kirk, who informed her about the program and supported her throughout the QuestBridge process, shared how remarkable Genevieve’s accomplishment is.
“A QuestBridge Scholar candidate is a unique student. I was very hopeful when I recognized these qualities in Genevieve,” Mrs. Kirk said. “However, when I read her essays, I realized that this was more than just a hope; she had a real chance. It was clear that her voice, resilience, and depth of character were something truly special. Watching this life-changing opportunity come to fruition for Genevieve has been nothing short of inspiring. It is such a privilege to celebrate her achievement and the bright future that now lies ahead at the University of Pennsylvania.”
Knoxville Catholic president Dickie Sompayrac said that “we are so happy for Genevieve. She is an amazing young lady and so deserving of this honor. Penn is getting the best of the best from KCHS.”
For more on Genevieve’s story, visit knoxvillecatholic.com/2025questbridgescholarship/.