JKCF Scholar Michael Novak Profiled In The Philly Voice
From community college to the Ivy League
New Undergraduate Transfer Scholar Michael Novak was one of four students profiled in an article by John Kopp on PhillyVoice.com about students transferring from the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to the University of Pennsylvania. In “From community college to the Ivy League,” Mr. Kopp writes:
By contrast, Michael Novak entered CCP expecting to transfer to Penn, where he knew many professors in the Asian Studies program from his time touring colleges as an interpreter for a Japanese Zen Buddhist master.
Novak, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies, wanted a strong educational foundation before enrolling at Penn. He selected CCP, but expected to breeze through its honors program. Instead, he was surprised at its rigors.
“I would not have been well prepared to succeed at Penn or to compete at Penn without the honors training,” Novak said. “In a way, I thought CCP was sort of a detour on my road to Penn. But CCP, especially the honors program here, is an excellent education.”
Novak, 39, earned a Jack Kent Cooke scholarship, which provides him $120,000 over three years to cover tuition, books and housing costs. Combined with other scholarships, Novak anticipates attending Penn at no cost to himself.
To read the rest of the article, visit the Philly Voice.