A senior at Roosevelt High School in D.C. thought she was going to a session on Wednesday on college readiness.
But she was in for the surprise of a lifetime.
Clau Diah Buenconsejo is one of 10 D.C. students to be awarded a full scholarship to George Washington University
In 2008, Buenconsejo’s mother immigrated to the United States from the Philippines. Seven years later, Buenconsejo and her other family members joined her mom to be reunited and start a life here together.
“Being here for like seven years without them, it was so hard,” Buenconsejo’s mom said, choking back tears. “Now I feel like all my hard works have been awarded.”
The high schooler is no stranger to hard work either.
“My first year was really really tough,” Buenconsejo said. “I had to get out of my comfort zone and start reaching out to clubs and organizations to get the hang of it."
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Now, the hardworking student is “super excited” to attend GW in the fall. Her dream is to become a clinical psychologist.
The interim chancellor of DC Public Schools, the president of GW and the school's mascot George were at her school on Wednesday to deliver the good news.
“I’m just looking forward to Clau Diah going on and being a wonderful person, having a great career, having a huge impact,” Thomas J. LeBlanc, the GW president, said.
For more than 25 years, GW has chosen 10 students out of hundreds of applicants to receive the Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship. The scholarship covers tuition, books, and room and board.
“A full ride to college is a very big deal,” LeBlanc said. “What we hope to do is transform a young person’s life.
