Naperville North High School senior, Vivek Ily, was in for a surprise during a live segment of Good Morning America on March 31. The College Board surprised 25 class of 2021 students from all over the nation, including Ily, with the announcement they had each won $40,000 for the Complete Your Journey Opportunity Scholarship.
“Originally they had told us that we were going to be live to explain how college applications were during the pandemic and how that affected how things were working. So that was the impression I was under. I thought there was no way I was going to get this out of all the thousands of applicants in the entire country. So I had kind of forgotten about the scholarship because I did not expect I was going to get it,” said Ily. “And then when they announced that we won the scholarship, at first I was completely confused. I was thinking, what is going on? Is this even real? What is happening?”
The scholarship application includes six steps in order for applicants to be considered. These include build your college list, practice for the SAT, explore scholarships, strengthen your college list, complete the FAFSA, and apply to colleges.
Naperville School District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said Ily’s accomplishment showcases the district’s mission.
Picture Source: Naperville Community Television
