Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Raider Wins $40,000 BigFuture Scholarship

May 23, 2025 11:30 AM

Northbrook High School (NHS) student Tairy Araniba, a 10th grader, has been awarded a $40,000 BigFuture Scholarship from the College Board—one of only two students nationally to earn the award this month.

The scholarship recognizes students who take key steps to plan for life after high school, including exploring careers, building a college list, and identifying ways to pay for higher education.

“I thought we had an assembly, and then they called my name,” Tairy said. “I didn’t think it was real. This is such a huge relief for me and my parents. It’s a huge lift financially.” The scholarship is part of College Board’s BigFuture, a free online tool that supports students in their college and career journeys.

More than $23 million in scholarships have been awarded since 2019 to students who complete simple planning milestones on bigfuture.org.

Students like Tairy are recognized not only for exploring their options early but for owning their futures. Tairy plans to pursue a career in the medical field, and she sees this scholarship as a major step toward achieving that goal.

“This is going to help me pursue my dream of working in medicine,” she said. “It’s going to make college easier. It’s a huge support.”

Northbrook High School Principal H.P. Hyder III shared his pride and appreciation for the support BigFuture offers students. “We are incredibly proud of Tairy and thankful for programs like BigFuture that give our students real tools to plan ahead,” Hyder said.

“Supports like these help ensure that every student in our building has the opportunity to dream big and achieve big.”

BigFuture’s six key steps are designed to help students engage in the college and career planning process.

Students become eligible for $500 and $40,000 scholarships by completing these milestones:

Start a career list
Start a college list
Start a scholarship list
Strengthen a college list
Complete the FAFSA
Apply to colleges

The program is open to students regardless of GPA or family income, and students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year receive double entries in each drawing.

“Whether they are starting their career, college, or scholarship lists, BigFuture is here to support student aspirations,” said Amy Reitz, senior vice president at BigFuture.

“We want to help more students like Tairy navigate the path toward a great career and the education to make it a reality.” Students and families are encouraged to seek out opportunities like BigFuture and take full advantage of the resources available through their school and the school district.

A great place to start is by connecting with a school counselor and exploring resources available through the district’s online learning platform, Canvas. Counselors can provide guidance on scholarships, postsecondary planning, and tools like BigFuture.

Tairy has a message for other students: “It’s 10 minutes of your day, and it could change your life.”