Marshall Fundamental is proud to announce Jesus Cortes who was selected as a distinguished QuestBridge College Scholar. Jesus’ Scholarship and his QuestBridge College Partner match have positioned him to begin his post-secondary education at Colby College, a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. The total award exceeding $350,000 will cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, room and board, books, supplies, and travel expenses.

 Jesus has impressively received admissionis to Colby College in their most competitive applicant pools in Colby’s history. He is in the top 6% of the 17,800 candidates offered one of the 1,142 seats. For Questbridge he is one of 1464 Class of 2023 QuestBridge Scholars Nationally. Also one of the of 15,000 applicants nominated as a 2023 College Prep Scholar and one of 3,518 Finalists.

Jesus began his educational career with the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) in Kindergarten at Jefferson Elementary and joined the Marshall Fundamental Eagle family in 6th grade. He is enrolled in the Puente Program supporting him in his college eligibility and is a participant of the Cal State Los Angeles Upward Bound Program, which provided Jesus’ fundamentals in college preparation.

As a Marshall Fundamental Eagle Jesus was a member of the National Honor Society, the Asian Club, the Armenian Club, the Christian Club, the National Honor Society, the Puente Club, and S.E.A. Club. He is the founder of the Gym Club and a founding member of the ACT Club. Through Puente, he met his volunteer requirements through the STARS Program, where Jesus mentored and tutored younger peers in a wide spectrum of enrichment activities. The activities included leading conversations and speaking on topics about physical wellness, well-being, and social issues. His commitment has led to his award for the Puente Merit-Based Scholarship for Academic Excellence.

When Jesus was asked what had the greatest impact in meeting his college goals, he definitively answered, “It was Upward Bound and more particularly the Upward Bound Summer Enrichment Program, where I was taking a STEM class that helped me find my passion for Chemistry Preparatory and Chemistry Exploration.”

Alred Liu, Academic Advisor for Upward Bound, Los Angeles mentioned, "Upward Bound provides students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds with opportunities to explore colleges and prepare for college applications. Jesus Cortes has participated in Upward Bound Math/Science since 9th grade. I believe that the dedication he has shown to both the program and his education demonstrates his resilience and unwavering passion for higher education. Having worked with Jesus throughout his QuestBridge application, from his initial application to the College Prep Scholars to his opening his College Match admissions letter, I found Jesus to be open-minded, coachable, communicative, respectful, and responsible. Jesus will undoubtedly succeed at Colby College and achieve his education and career goals in the future."

For recreation, Jesus practices Jiu Jitsu and Kickboxing.

Jesus has received admission to attend Pasadena City College, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, and Colby College. He has accepted the QuestBridge Scholarship to attend Colby College in the fall with the intention of majoring in Biochemistry.

Jesus has been a model student and we are proud to celebrate him for his many accomplishments.