Shane Winner, a senior and academic standout at Iola High School, assumed hed follow a predictable route after graduation: Go to a four-year state college, earn a degree and join the workforce.
That path took an unexpected turn last year when his friend, 2019 IHS graduate Jon Miller, was accepted to Bowdoin College in Maine through the QuestBridge scholars program. With their sons success, Millers parents, Paul and Kari, decided to help other IHS students reach for the stars.
They took Winner under their wing.
First off, they helped him apply to the QuestBridge program, which helps low-income, first-generation college students connect with Americas best colleges. In some cases, students can earn full-ride scholarships to colleges that would otherwise be out of reach.