Published August 14, 2025

What are the odds that one graduating senior could earn three of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious scholarships - as Wheeling High School (WHS) Class of 2025 graduate Omar Rodriguez has done?

While there’s no precise answer, suffice it to say that the odds seem long-ish. Consider:

• The QuestBridge match is awarded to roughly 10 percent of the 25,000+ students who apply. 
• The Gates Scholarship is awarded to 1.6 percent of 48,000 applicants.
• Amazon does not publish acceptance rates for its Future Engineer Scholarship, but this year it is awarding only 400 nationwide. 

Yet Omar earned all three. The only people who might not be astonished are those who watched him blaze a remarkable path through his four years at WHS. These folks are aware that Omar was doing everything, everywhere, all at once – and excelling at every step.

“Omar's remarkable success isn't a matter of luck but the direct result of his relentless hard work, academic excellence, and a proactive approach to seeking out opportunities,” said WHS counselor Joanne Amador-Zapata. “The odds of all of this happening are very low, making Omar's accomplishment a powerful demonstration of what is possible with exceptional talent, immense dedication, and an unyielding commitment to personal growth. He took the idea of dream big to another level.”

When Omar wasn’t compiling the sterling academic record that qualified him for all three scholarships, he was creating special projects. For instance, he and classmate Alexander Herrera utilized WHS’s advanced nanotechnology lab to produce a study (“Carbon Biowaste Anodes in Sodium Batteries to Reduce Environmental Impact”) for Junior Academy of Science competition that qualified for this year’s international fair. 

And while their project did not place in international competition, Omar saw it as an “awesome opportunity” to talk shop with students from Korea, Australia, Germany, the Philippines and many other locales around the world.

When he wasn’t nurturing an international network of peers, Omar was jamming: playing trombone for his school’s jazz ensemble and even playing alongside professionals when the Heritage Jazz Orchestra performed at WHS. Omar raved about the chance to mingle with professional musicians at Rolling Meadows High School’s Jazz in the Meadows.

“Learning and getting feedback from these professionals was surreal,” he said. “It’s not just the music—it’s the experience, the people you meet and the inspiration you take home."

A central theme for Omar, as you may have deduced, is identifying and making the most of opportunities, a word that peppers many of his conversations.

• “The whole nano classroom (at WHS) was such an opportunity. That opportunity to research doesn't happen at a lot of schools, especially with that much direction, not just with teachers, but also with mentors who give a lot of their time. But students eventually have to figure it out themselves.”

• “Originally, QuestBridge was the main thing I was going for. I had talked with a college counselor, who brought so many opportunities to my attention.”

• “The cool thing about Gates is the opportunity to study abroad. It will fund me for a co-op or internship, and those are big factors.”

• “I didn’t have the highest hopes (for earning the Amazon scholarship), but it seemed like an amazing opportunity, not just to get a foot in the door but a summer internship.”

After graduation ceremonies in May, Omar exercised the rarest of opportunities: He took a little time off. “After a hectic four years, I wanted to take a break from everything for a couple of weeks.” So he did,  hanging out with friends, visiting El Salvador, starting a fitness routine.

Break over, he got back to work, as a helper in a WHS band camp. Now, in August, it’s off to Columbia University, where QuestBridge will cover tuition, housing, food, travel expenses, and books for four years. 

Next summer, Omar will participate in a paid software engineering internship, valued at $29,000, courtesy of the Amazon scholarship. The internship could be located in any number of places coast to coast. Omar is not concerned about the details yet; he has new adventures and work closer on the horizon.

He has already emailed the university’s music director, expressing interest in continuing his jazz. As for his career path, that is not carved in stone.  “Obviously I have a passion for computer science, software engineering, engineering in general, but I’m trying to be open and make the most of whatever opportunities I’m given.”