Brewster Senior Named QuestBridge Scholar Will Join The Fighting Irish Notre Dame University

BREWSTER, NY — A Hudson Valley student is making her mark in a way that has captured the attention of academics far from home.

From the Brewster Central School District.

If one were to imagine Kelsey Gregorio Aguirre’s report cards over the years, one would imagine phrases like: a student who “well exceeds expectations,” “consistently produces high quality work,” "demonstrates a deep understanding of all topics," and "is a motivated, self-directed learner."

The Brewster High School senior is a QuestBridge Scholar who was accepted at Notre Dame University for the 2026-2027 school year. This prestigious program connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to 50 of the nation’s best colleges. Out of more than 25,500 applicants, QuestBridge selected 7,026 Finalists to be considered for the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship. Kelsey did not “match” with a college, but through the process, was accepted to Notre Dame with a full scholarship.

Although she arrived in Brewster as a transfer student last year from Yonkers, she is a Brewster convert.

“I am a shy person, so I decided to join clubs when I got to Brewster. One of the great things about Brewster is that because of the after-school transportation, I could do so many more activities. My mom never had to pick me up. I joined Robotics and stayed every day after school during the season until 7:00 pm. It was a great experience. I was thrown into a leadership position–there were not a lot of coders so I learned how to code. I love the high pressure environment of redeploying code just before a match.”

The Robotics team was a perfect choice for Kelsey as she is clearly focused on what she wants to do in life.

“I want to major in electrical and computer engineering. I like coding but need something that won’t be easily replaced by A-I like a systems engineer. I’d love to work in the field of avionics. There are so many great companies out there.

Kelsey’s path was not a straight line. She moved to the United States with her family from Guatemala when she was in third grade, unable to speak English. By the fourth grade, she had passed her English proficiency exams.

“I always had very nice teachers who helped me along the way. In sixth grade my teacher knew I loved DC Comics and gave me comic books to read in English. I always went to the library and took out books with Spanish and English text.”

Kelsey will be the first in her family to go to college and enter a STEM field.

“My family is sad that I will be far from home–Indiana is an 11-hour drive from Brewster–but they are so proud of me. My grandparents in Guatemala are proud of me. They know Notre Dame is a great Catholic school with lots of academic and financial support.”

"It is truly a pleasure working with Kelsey,” said guidance counselor Dennise Barahona. “She is mature beyond her years and takes on any opportunity for improvement with enthusiasm and curiosity. Kelsey is an active participant in Brewster High School and has built meaningful connections through classes, honor societies, and extracurriculars. I know she will shine at Notre Dame."

This press release was produced by the Brewster Central School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.