FROM STAFF REPORTS

NORTH SHELBY – Oak Mountain senior Eugene Lee will be heading to Princeton University thanks to a full scholarship granted by QuestBridge National College Match, a national program that connects high-achieving, low-income high school seniors with full four-year scholarships to the nation’s top colleges.

Out of 14,926 applicants, QuestBridge selected 5,842 Finalists who were considered for the 2019 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship. Of these Finalists, 1,127 outstanding students were selected as this year’s recipients, which included Lee.

Match Scholarship Recipients are admitted early to QuestBridge college partners with full four-year scholarships that are provided by the colleges and universities, ensuring for these students and their families that an education at a top college can be affordable. The Match Scholarship is offered as part of a generous financial aid package provided by the college that covers the full cost of attendance, including tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses.

“This year’s record number of Match Scholarship Recipients truly reflects the commitment of our college partners to support all students, regardless of their family’s financial background,” said Ana McCullough, CEO and Co-Founder of QuestBridge. “As a result, highly deserving, low-income students can dream big and reach their full potential.”

According to QuestBridge, the 2019 Match Scholarship recipients have an average unweighted GPA of 3.93. For standardized testing, the middle 50 percent received between 1350 – 1500 on the SAT and between 30 – 33 on the ACT.

Lee currently is ranked third out of his senior class of 336 students and has a weighted GPA of 4.5. He is currently enrolled and maintaining an A average in six Advanced Placement courses. He had a composite score of 35 on the ACT and 1490 on the SAT. Additionally, he has scored 4 and 5 on five AP exams taken to date. He was also named an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Merit Commended Scholar.

Lee, the son of Seung Joo Lee and Nam Sun Lee, is active at Oak Mountain High School and in the community. At OMHS, Lee is section leader of the alto saxophones in the Spirit of Cahaba Marching band and is a second chair alto saxophonist in the Oak Mountain Wind Ensemble.

He is also an active member of the Varsity Scholar’s Bowl team, the Math Team, Junior Classical League (Latin Club) and Key Club. Lee achieved a black belt rank at the U.S. Taekwondo Academy, where he served as a junior instructor for three years.

“Eugene Lee is definitely a gifted mathematics student, but he is also an outstanding well-rounded individual,” OMHS AP Calculus teacher Amanda Bittinger said. “He has an inviting personality that makes others want to be around him and to work with him, and he always has a positive attitude about every situation.”

“Eugene is a joy to teach in the mathematics classroom and to coach on the advanced math team,” Bittinger said. “I am so proud of his accomplishments. Eugene is very deserving of his acceptance to Princeton. He is a perfect example of the caliber of advanced students we have at Oak Mountain High School.”