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(STEPHANIE TALBOTT | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO) Graham High School students Ryder Calhoun (left) and Christopher Stroud pose for a photo in the GHS library. Calhoun will be attending Rice University after utilizing QuestBridge.
Dec. 1, 2025, marked a life-changing moment for Graham High School senior Ryder Calhoun.
It was QuestBridge Match Day—a highly anticipated announcement for seniors across the country—and Ryder’s results were everything he had hoped for.
When he arrived home from school, he opened his laptop to check the decision. There it was: he had matched with his dream school, Rice University.
QuestBridge is a highly selective national college access program that connects high-achieving students with top universities nationwide. Each year, thousands of seniors apply, but only a small percentage are selected to match with a partner institution.
By matching with Rice University, Ryder earned the opportunity to attend one of the nation’s leading research universities with a full ride, making his accomplishment especially noteworthy.
Ryder, the salutatorian of GHS, has long demonstrated academic excellence. When ranking colleges through QuestBridge, Rice University consistently held the top spot on his list. His interest in the school began during the first semester of his junior year.
“I started researching colleges in the first semester of my junior year,” Ryder said. “I have always loved the city of Houston, so I looked at colleges there. When I researched Rice, I realized it had everything I was looking for—small class sizes, opportunities in the medical field, and it wasn’t too far from my family. And most importantly, it’s close to the Astros stadium.”
Ryder began the QuestBridge application process during the summer of 2025, earlier than many of his peers.
The process required completing the National College Match application, writing multiple essays, submitting transcripts and test scores, securing letters of recommendation, completing financial documents and ranking preferred colleges.
After months of preparation, all that remained was the wait. When Match Day finally arrived, Ryder chose to wait until he got home, so his mom could share the moment with him.
“My stomach was on the floor,” he said.
When he opened the email, anxiety quickly turned into excitement.
“When I found out, I was in disbelief because this has been a dream for such a long time,” Ryder said. “I knew how competitive it was, so seeing it all pay off was very surreal.”
He ran through the house, celebrating before sharing the moment with his mom. Soon after, messages of congratulations poured in from family, friends, teachers, and community members.
Ryder plans to attend Rice University’s orientation in August 2026. Looking ahead, he is most excited about the people he has already connected with.
“I’m excited to meet the future Owls I’ve been talking to,” he said. “They seem very down-to-earth and genuine.”
The future looks bright for Ryder. Go Owls—and go Ryder.
