72 Community College Students Awarded Prestigious National Scholarship to Finish Their Degrees at Four-Year Institutions
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announces its newest class of Undergraduate Transfer Scholars as they prepare to transfer in the fall.
Lansdowne, VA — The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation today announced that 72 high-achieving community college students are selected as recipients of the prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The highly competitive national transfer scholarship will provide selected students with up to $40,000 a year to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
“We know how much exponentially harder this past year has been on students. It’s an honor to award this group of individuals as they have achieved so much both in the classroom and in their daily lives,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We are proud to welcome this new class of Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars to our community and are excited to support them as they transition to four-year institutions.”
Today, nearly half of the students pursuing college choose to attend two-year institutions. Research commissioned by the Foundation found that community college students who transfer to selective institutions have equal to or higher graduation rates as students who enrolled directly from high school or transferred from four-year institutions. Yet, at the nation’s top colleges, only five percent have transferred from a community college. The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship seeks to increase the number of community college students completing their education at top four-year institutions.
In addition to financial support, new Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year college and preparing for their careers. Scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network of Cooke Scholars and Alumni.
To date, over 1,000 students from all over the country have received the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Over 1,300 students from 370 community colleges applied for the 2021 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The Foundation evaluated each submission based on students’ academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, and leadership.
A list of this year’s Cooke Transfer Scholars, their community colleges, and their state of residence is below.
ARIZONA
Dien Nguyen – Glendale Community College
CALIFORNIA
Cecilia Bachmann – Pasadena City College
Tatiana Butte – San Diego City College
Janelle Ariel Chan – East Los Angeles College
Haya Chehada – Cerritos College
Thyra Cobbs – Los Medanos College
James Crawford – Mount San Jacinto College
Brenda Fernandez Martinez – El Camino College
Omar Garcia – Fullerton College
Christina Greenwood – Victor Valley College
Patricia Hernandez-Beltran – College of the Desert
Preston Hong – Saddleback College
Lucia Huerta – San Diego City College
Yazmin Mata – East Los Angeles College
Faeven Mussie – Chabot College
Christine Nguyen – Los Angeles City College
Thien Nguyen – Orange Coast College
Valia Oliva – Saddleback College
Gerald Richardson – Moorpark College
Yazmin Rocha Delgadillo – Contra Costa College
Ho Yan Yip – East Los Angeles College
FLORIDA
Kalid Gawon – Miami Dade College
Diana Gonzalez – Miami Dade College
Charly Gutierrez Jimenez – Santa Fe College
Donna Nestor – St. Petersburg College
Estefano Reyes – Miami Dade College
Laura Santos – Miami Dade College
GEORGIA
Awa Cisse – Georgia Perimeter College
Gideon Melvin – Georgia Perimeter College
ILLINOIS
Dalin Eap – City Colleges of Chicago: Wilbur Wright College
Jennifer Haggerty – Lincoln Land Community College
Renee King – City Colleges of Chicago: Harry S. Truman College
Kaming Leung – City Colleges of Chicago: Harold Washington College
Ricardo Martinez – Prairie State College
Amir Noormohammad – City Colleges of Chicago: Wilbur Wright College
Huan Phan – City Colleges of Chicago: Wilbur Wright College
Samiha Syed – College of DuPage
Precious Taiwo – City Colleges of Chicago: Harry S. Truman College
LOUISIANA
Shaina Kaye – Delgado Community College
MARYLAND
Amira Cooper – Howard Community College
Nick Tracy – Montgomery College
MICHIGAN
Tala Alahmar – Oakland Community College
Gideon Kortenhoven – Grand Rapids Community College
Deidre Mitchell – Grand Rapids Community College
Jailynn Sprewer – Gogebic Community College
MISSISSIPPI
Riley Cleveland – Pearl River Community College
Quindalin Harper – Pearl River Community College
Diana Salinas – Itawamba Community College
Kyle Simpson – Pearl River Community College
MISSOURI
Wadzanai Ndambakuwa – Cottey College
NEW JERSEY
Adoum Allamine – Hudson County Community College
Bekim Bruka – Bergen Community College
Genesis Capellan – Bergen Community College
Ignacio Leon – Bergen Community College
Laila Metwaly – Bergen Community College
Pedro Moranchel – Hudson County Community College
Zilla Tofte – City University of New York: LaGuardia Community College
NEW YORK
Bianca Braun – Westchester Community College
Abdoul-hanane Gbadamassi – City University of New York: Borough of Manhattan Community College
Altrim Mamuti – City University of New York: Borough of Manhattan Community College
OREGON
Susie Cray – Linn-Benton Community College
TENNESSEE
Savannah Stover – Volunteer State Community College
TEXAS
Fizza Afreen – Lone Star College System
Rachel Aquino – Lone Star College System
Ferdinando Castro Gonzalez – Dallas College, Richland Campus
Daysi Duarte Benito – Lone Star College System
Brayan Gutierrez – Lone Star College System
Saddy Khakimova – San Jacinto College
Kathryn Price – Lone Star College System
Aren Yoon – San Antonio College
WASHINGTON
Ki Ahn – Bellevue College
Noah Nguyen – Shoreline Community College
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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 $222 million in scholarships to over 2,800 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $115 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org
Media Contact: Julia Nelson, 571-799-8067, media@jkcf.org