Nine Montgomery College Students Named Semifinalists for Competitive Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has (JKCF) recently announced the semifinalists for its highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Of the 485 semifinalists nationwide, nine are current Montgomery College students. This year’s semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants and attend 224 community colleges in 37 states. The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship recipients will be announced in May.

Through this award, the Foundation supports the nation’s top community college students with financial need seeking to complete a bachelor’s degree at four-year colleges or universities.

Montgomery College’s nine JKCF semifinalists are:

• Omobolanle Fakunle
• Daved Flores
• Arpa Gomes
• Donald Kemajou
• Karen Lwandeka
• Hana Mahdood
• Valentina Santos Andrade
• Tiba Tavakoli 
• Ingrid Toukep

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship enables recipients to complete their bachelor’s degrees debt-free at any accredited four-year college or university in the United States and provides last-dollar funding of up to $55,000 per year for two to three years. The award is designed to remove financial barriers so that high-achieving community college students can transfer to and thrive at the nation’s top institutions.

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

The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship provides comprehensive support that extends far beyond financial assistance, recognizing that admission and enrollment are only the beginning. Selected Cooke Transfer Scholars receive personalized educational advising from the Foundation’s Deans of Scholar Support, who guide them through the transition to a four-year institution and help prepare them for future careers. Scholars also gain access to transformative opportunities including internships, study abroad experiences, and graduate school funding, as well as inclusion in a thriving community of more than 3,800 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni who provide mentorship and networking connections throughout their academic and professional lives.

“Through the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation works to ensure that exceptional community college students have the opportunities to reach their full academic potential,” said Executive Director Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili. “This year’s semifinalists reflect the remarkable talent and ambition found in community colleges nationwide.”

To learn more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, visit the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation website.