50 High-Achieving High School Seniors Awarded Prestigious National College Scholarship

Scholars in Zoom Meeting

Cooke College Scholars will receive up to $40,000 a year towards their undergraduate degrees and additional services from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Lansdowne, VA — The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation today announced 50 high-achieving students as Cooke College Scholars. This year’s recipients, who represent 26 states, will receive up to $40,000 annually to cover all aspects of their undergraduate education, as they go on to attend some of the nation’s most selective colleges and universities next fall.

In addition to receiving generous financial support, the new Cooke College Scholars will also receive comprehensive educational advising from Foundation staff and connect with a network of nearly 2,700 active scholars and alums. New scholars will also receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and access to graduate school funding.

“In these times of great uncertainty, we remain committed to supporting high-achieving students with the financial and academic resources they need to be successful,” said Seppy Basili, Executive Director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We are very excited to welcome this new class of exceptional students into our community of scholars, and hope that this news brings joy to their families and communities.”

This year, 5,400 students applied for the Cooke College Scholarship, including applicants from all 50 states; Washington, DC; and Puerto Rico. The Foundation evaluated each submission, and selected scholars based on their academic ability, persistence, leadership, and service to others. Scholars will go on to study in fields such as biological science, engineering, computer science, and political science.

These 50 scholars join the 68 current Cooke Young Scholars selected in February to continue to receive the organization’s support to form the 2020 cohort of 118 new College Scholars. A full list of the 2020 Cooke College Scholars, including the high schools and states they represent, can be found here.

 

Alaska

Rachael Shaw-Rosenbaum – West Anchorage High School

 

Arizona

Melanie Delgado Santacruz – Phoenix Union Bioscience High School

 

Arkansas

Luis “Toño” Mendez – Green Forest High School
Anshuman Nandy – Haas Hall Academy
Aurora “Blue” Brasher-Rues* – Fayetteville Senior High School

 

California

Zenaida Aguirre Gutierrez – Alliance Gertz-Ressler High School
Mariela Barrales – James A Garfield High School
Osvaldo “Ozzy” Cabrales – James A Garfield High School
Xiao Yan “Mia” Chen – Lowell High School
Luis Gomez – Los Altos High School
Gerardo Hurtado – Chaffey High School
Luciana Soria-Robles – Van Nuys High School
Catherine “Catey” Aitken* – San Ramon Valley High School
Vanessa Flores Renderos* – Fresno High School
Edward Koh* – Martin Luther King High School
Jessica Lam* – Glen A Wilson High School
Benjamin “Ben” Lee* – Crescenta Valley High School
John Pantoja* – Archbishop Mitty High School
Crystal Zepeda* – College Preparatory School

 

Colorado

Ananda Birungi – Thornton High School
Angela Serwaa-Marfo* – Regis Jesuit High School: Girls Division

 

Connecticut

Jason “Jay” Guo* – Hopkins School

 

District of Columbia

Michel Ruiz Fuentes* – Sandy Spring Friends School

 

Florida

Nathalie Acosta – Coral Reef Senior High School
Thomas Escudero – Charles W Flanagan High School
Hassan Javed – Avon Park High School
Michelle Zapata Riveros – American Heritage School Plantation
Blake Garcia* – Coral Reef Senior High School
Devin Guilbeau* – Lyman High School
Eneda Kulla* – Lakewood Senior High School
Divya Navani* – Key West High School
Andres Parra* – Saint Andrew’s School
Matthew Werneken* – Palm Harbor University High School
Ervin Williams* – Phillips Exeter Academy

Georgia

Sage Crystian – New Manchester High School
Emily Kim – Gwinnett School of Mathematics Science and Technology
Roksana Klasa – Peachtree Ridge High School
Aissata Bah* – Phillips Academy
Anandi Bien-Aime* – Woodward Academy
Katelyn King* – Westover Comprehensive High School
Alicia Mazzurra* – River Ridge High School
Ryan Yang* – North Oconee High School
Luma Younis* – Tucker High School

 

Illinois

Ena Basic – Walter Payton College Preparatory High School
Mateo Campoverde-Fordon* – Evanston Township High School
Daniela Castellanos* – University of Chicago Laboratory High School
Kristian “Kris” Walker* – Latin School of Chicago
Michaela “Jordan” Zollicoffer* – Whitney M Young Magnet High School

 

Kentucky

Conlan Beck – Clinton County High School
Sarah Cassady* – Logan County High School
Dalton Gregory* – Webb School
Abrar Shawkat* – Walton Verona High School
Mason Thompson* – Daviess County High School

 

Louisiana

Isaac Broussard – Alfred M Barbe High School
Olivia Howard – Patrick F Taylor Science and Technology Academy

 

Maine

Ian McClure-Chute* – Waynflete School

Maryland

Mahir Sudad – Springbrook High School
Anaily Acosta* – Walt Whitman High School
Mulugeta Mulugeta* – Sidwell Friends School
Ferdinand “Vee” Virtudes Jr.* – Pikesville High School

 

Massachusetts

Jeremiah “Jerry” Curran – Sturgis Charter Public School East
Destin Fernandes – KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate

 

Michigan

Laila Nasher – Universal Academy
Cormac Roth* – Kalamazoo Central High School

 

Minnesota

John Nguyen – Harding High School

 

Missouri

Katherine Brown* – Pembroke Hill School
Kadin Kristjansson* – Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School

 

Nebraska

Benjamin Soria – Kearney High School

 

New Jersey

Luna Aguilar – Morristown High School
Racheal Arewa* – North Star Academy Charter School of Newark
Khari Greene* – Phillips Academy
Joanne Lee* – Bard College at Simon’s Rock- The Early College
Maureena Murphy* – Phillips Exeter Academy
Yves Lorenz Perez* – Bergen County Academies

 

New York

Reuben Goldstein – Yeshivah of Flatbush
Kyle Lambert – George Washington Carver High School for the Sciences
Yu Fan “Hedy” Tung – Stuyvesant High School
Samuel “Sam” Ahn* – Hunter College High School
Fatoumata Soumare* – Thacher School

North Carolina

Caroline Hoover – Watauga High School
Makayla Key* – James B Dudley Senior High School
Razvan Matei* – North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Sam Park* – Phillips Exeter Academy
Isabella Shutt* – West Lincoln High School

 

Ohio

Leah Profitt – Preble Shawnee High School
Elizabeth “Liz” Radway – Indian Hill High School

 

Oklahoma

Fiza Sheikh – Edmond Santa Fe High School
Rosie Wenger* – Pryor High School

 

Oregon

Selena Zhang – Lake Oswego High School

 

Pennsylvania

Thussenthan Walter-Angelo – Cedar Cliff High School

 

South Carolina

Nathan Sun* – Phillips Exeter Academy

 

Tennessee

Autumn Carpenter* – White House High School
Mouhamed Gaye* – Phillips Exeter Academy
Rishi Pillai* – Nolensville High School
Jean Shin* – Loomis Chaffee School
Yeongseo “Julia” Son* – Central Magnet School

 

Texas

Juan “Angel” Luera – Pioneer High School
Peyton Mueller – John H Guyer High School
Chloe Nguyen – Michael E Debakey High School of the Health Professions
Yaa “Yaayaa” Pajibo – McKinney North High School
Cora Wen – Carnegie Vanguard High School
Colton Baldridge* – Shallowater High School
Evelyn Garza Gallardo* – KIPP Northeast College Preparatory
Nirvana Khan* – The Hockaday School
Sharil Maredia* – Clear Springs High School
Jose Mendoza* – Awty International School
Lam Nguyen* – Klein High School
Tramy Nguyen* – Ross S Sterling High School
Alejandra “Alex” Pedroza* – Phillips Academy

 

Utah

Kasia Watson* – Snow Canyon High School

 

Virginia

ShiMin “Minah” Chen – Potomac Falls High School
Myles Noel – Norview High School

 

Washington

Haley Herbert – Kelso High School
Ellie Cook* – Oaks – A Classical Christian Academy

 

Wisconsin

Jose “Gomez” Gomez Segura – Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee
Lydia Monk – North High School

 

* Indicates that this student is also a current Cooke Young Scholar.

An additional three Cooke College Scholars did not opt into publicity.

 

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The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded over $200 million in scholarships to over 2,700 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $110 million in grants to organizations that serve such students.  www.jkcf.org

Media Contact: Jenna Schuette Talbot, 760-390-6978, jenna@whiteboardadvisors.com