Ten Montgomery College Students Named Semifinalists for Prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has (JKCF) recently announced the semifinalists for its highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Of the 440 semifinalists nationwide, 10 are current Montgomery College students. This year’s semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,200 applicants attending 180 community colleges in 35 states. The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship recipients will be announced by early May.

Through this award, the Foundation supports high-achieving community college students with financial need seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at selective four-year institutions.

Montgomery College’s 10 JKCF semifinalists are:

Alexzander Baetsen
Jessica Beitler
Andrea Campos
Anna Chacon
Eve Elias Stowell
Patrick Ibanez
Marthe Medalebem Sandjol
Isabela Paz
Amanda Pereira Baloneque
Fatihah Ullah

View the list of this year’s Cooke Transfer Scholar semifinalists, their community colleges, and their hometowns on the JKCF website.

Since its inception, the Cooke Foundation has selected Transfer Scholars from over 337 community colleges and has awarded more than $54 million in transfer scholarships. While national college enrollments have been on the decline in the midst of the pandemic, recent National Student Clearinghouse data finds that transfers are on the rise among community college students who have stayed enrolled in the first year of the pandemic. For the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, this was a highly competitive year.

“The past year has been particularly difficult as students continued to navigate the complexities of hybrid learning, the demands of family care, and disrupted work schedules,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We are so proud of these semifinalists for their perseverance and achievements at their community colleges.”

The Undergraduate Scholarship offers unmatched support to community college students seeking to complete their education at top four-year institutions. In addition to financial support, selected Cooke Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising from the Foundation to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year school and preparing for their careers. Undergraduate Transfer Scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network of nearly 3,000 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

Cooke Transfer Scholars are selected based on their exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service, and leadership. Students must be currently enrolled in community college or recent alumni.

Learn more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship here.