Church Farm School senior Kennent Pineda was recently one of three scholars that learned that he was named a QuestBridge National College Match finalist. QuestBridge, like Church Farm School, is a nonprofit organization that “grew from a core belief that all students deserve to reach their full potential, regardless of their financial background.” Following a rigorous application process, QuestBridge National College Match finalists are announced in October; of the 25,500 applications this year, 7,288 students were selected. The finalists then choose up to 15 esteemed national colleges and universities they wish to match with, submit additional materials and, if matched, receive a full, four-year scholarship. Since 2015, 16 CFS students have been named National College Match Finalists, with seven seniors matched and receiving full rides to Princeton, Brown, Tufts, Williams, Vassar, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago.

Kennent, from Newark, New Jersey, and a Wight Foundation Scholar, is a student whose potential was evident very quickly; he earned the highest GPA award for the entire school at the Class of 2022 Commencement Ceremony, nearly unheard of for a freshman. His efforts have never waned, and he’s consistently received honors in academics, athletics and residential life, while also co-founding the school’s first Hispanic Heritage Club and being elected to Student Congress. His dream is to match with Swarthmore College and study engineering.

Prior to Church Farm School, Kennent was attending public school in Newark and not getting the personalized attention and rigorous academics he was looking for. He worked with the Wight Foundation to apply to Church Farm School, which appealed to him due to its more rural setting and generous financial aid package. Kennent’s freshman year was strong academically – he earned the top GPA Award for the entire school at graduation – but he was a self-admitted recluse. “I knew that to be successful, I needed to be more open with others.” He asked a peer to be his roommate sophomore year, and “that’s where I launched off,” he says. “My grades initially took a hit, but it was worth it for the transformation that came out of it.”

Kennent has been a prefect in Catherwood Cottage for the past two years, and is currently a member of Student Congress and a varsity athlete in soccer and lacrosse. He continues to maintain high grades, excel at tenor saxophone and he even took college courses in physics and African-American literature at Kenyon College over the summer. He learned that he was a QuestBridge National College Match finalist on his birthday: October 16. Now, he’s busy with gathering all the information required for his top eight schools, which include Swarthmore, Brown and Tufts. He hopes to study engineering and eventually work in the field of Formula One racing.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our scholars being named as finalists to QuestBridge’s National College Match. Like Church Farm School, QuestBridge offers a life-changing opportunity to get an extraordinary education at low or no cost to families,” says Scott.  

To view Church Farm School’s profile and the matriculations of graduates since 2020, click here.