90 Community College Students Awarded Transfer Scholarships to Attend Four-Year Institutions
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announces its 2025 cohort of community college students for national transfer scholarship
Some of the 2024 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars pose at Scholars Weekend in summer 2024.
LANSDOWNE, VIRGINIA (MAY 13, 2025) – Today, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has announced the selection of 90 community college students as recipients of the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The award will enable these Scholars to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year institutions with a significantly reduced financial burden.
The 2025 cohort marks one of the largest in the Foundation’s 25-year history, reinforcing its continued commitment to creating debt-free pathways to higher education for high-achieving students with financial need.
“This year’s cohort reflects the remarkable talent and determination thriving in community colleges nationwide,” said Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili, Executive Director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “As we mark 25 years of impact, we remain committed to amplifying the successes of these students and opening doors to the opportunities they deserve.”
While nearly 80% of community college students aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, only 16% reach that goal within six years. The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which makes this goal more attainable for selected students, provides last-dollar funding of up to $55,000 per year for up to three years and eases the financial burden of completing a four-year degree. Beyond funding, Scholars receive personalized advising to guide their academic and professional journeys. Scholars also gain access to a nationwide network of more than 3,400 Cooke Scholars and Alumni, along with opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school support – ensuring they have every tool needed to thrive beyond community college.
This year’s selection process drew more than 1,600 applications from community colleges across the nation. The 90 new Scholars were selected from a semifinalist pool of 467 students. Applicants were evaluated based on their academic achievement, unmet financial need, persistence, and leadership qualities.
A complete list of the 2025 Cooke Transfer Scholar finalists and their respective community colleges is available below. To learn more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, visit the website here.
Alabama
Dylan Schloerb – Bevill State Community College
Vianney Verdin Maldonado – Wallace State Community College at Hanceville
Arizona
Jennifer Alvarado – Phoenix College
Jesse Lopez Martin – Phoenix College
Malyssa Shaw – Pima Community College
California
Soraya Amin – American River College
Daniel Begel – College of the Canyons
Kaylie Brehm – Antelope Valley College
Carissa Coane – Glendale Community College
Taron Hakobyan – Glendale Community College
Alexander Herman – West Valley College
Moe Sithu Maung Maung Lay – De Anza College
Benjamin Lee – Cerritos College
Sharlize Lemus Terron – Cerritos College
Megan Lohans – Mount San Antonio College
Rue Moe – Skyline College
Prisma Santiago – East Los Angeles College
Amir Erfan Shahla – College of the Canyons
Arthur Veloso Nepomuceno da Silva – Skyline College
Charles Wilson – West Los Angeles College
Colorado
Mosab Abdalla – Community College of Denver
Connecticut
Wania Fatima – Housatonic Community College
Jahlani Ustanny – Capital Community College
Delaware
Jeremiah Waid – Delaware Technical Community College
Florida
Daniela Fonseca – Miami Dade College
Claudia Gomez – Miami Dade College
Victor Michel Gonzalez – Miami Dade College
Kevin Romero – Broward College
Maite Roque Franco – Miami Dade College
Bryan Rowland – Santa Fe College
Daniel Yantani Coto – Miami Dade College
Yelyzaveta Yurchevska – St. Petersburg College
Georgia
Paloma Hodje – Perimeter College at Georgia State University
Rakeb Tesfassellasie – Perimeter College at Georgia State University
Illinois
Benny Acar – City Colleges of Chicago: Harry S Truman College
Aini Asim – Harper College
Farshid Azarvash – Triton College
Jiheon Kang – Oakton Community College
Suzi Ngafo Kengne – City Colleges of Chicago: Harry S Truman College
Juan Romero – Prairie State College
Indiana
Britney Khan – Ivy Technology Community College: Bloomington
Kentucky
Marissa Graham – Somerset Community College
Maryland
Kyle Clarke Echeverria – Community College of Baltimore County
Danae Flores-Tene – Montgomery College
Nour Miswadeh – Community College of Baltimore County
Rodin Ruiz – Montgomery College
Michigan
Ahmad Habbas – Washtenaw Community College
Jean Marie Mbalanda – Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Cortney Rinehart – Henry Ford Community College
Skyler Umney – Schoolcraft College
Minnesota
Pattarapol Muepae – Saint Paul College
Mississippi
Naomi Williamson – Pearl River Community College
Nevada
Kristen Gibson – College of Southern Nevada
New Jersey
Odudu Ekpenyong – Union County College
Joseph Frazier – Mercer County Community College
New Mexico
Clarisse Coelho – New Mexico Military Institute
New York
Marco Alvarez – City University of New York: Hostos Community College
Ieesha Ansar – City University of New York: Queensborough Community College
Natalia Benitez Levina – SUNY: Rockland Community College
Dio Brown – Onondaga Community College
Tyrese Brown – SUNY Adirondack
Pedrocia De-Sosoo – City University of New York: Queensborough Community College
Udya Dewanamuni – Suffolk County Community College
Abdoulaye Diallo – City University of New York: Borough of Manhattan Community College
Reni Fashipe – SUNY: Rockland Community College
Jessica Gallegos – City University of New York: LaGuardia Community College
Tanzeela Jahangir – City University of New York: Kingsborough Community College
Liam Lotz – City University of New York: Kingsborough Community College
Miguel Posada Perez – City University of New York: LaGuardia Community College
Tabia Tarannum – City University of New York: LaGuardia Community College
North Carolina
Cata Aldana Archila – Guilford Technical Community College
Michael King – Cape Fear Community College
Carolina Servin – Gaston College
Ohio
Heisenberg Francis – Columbus State Community College
Oklahoma
James Hayes-Robinson – Rose State College
Dynasty Poire – Rose State College
Oregon
Diego Lobato – Portland Community College
Pennsylvania
Josh Reid – Montgomery County Community College
Kamal Rhodes – Community College of Philadelphia
Olivia Schade – Community College of Philadelphia
Tennessee
Kate Casell – Northeast State Technical Community College
Shanna Holt – Northeast State Technical Community College
Texas
Mang Cin – Dallas College: Richland Campus
Jaquelyn Galvan – Lone Star College System
Jada-Kai Johnson – Lone Star College System
Yoseline Mendoza – Lone Star College System
Jonathan Rodriguez – Lone Star College System
Washington
Khanh Pham – South Puget Sound Community College
Matias Saenz – Seattle Central College
Wisconsin
Teegawende Segrado – Madison Area Technical College
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About The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
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 almost $304 million in scholarships to more than 3,400 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising, career pathway counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $136 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org