The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has announced its 2025 cohort of Undergraduate Transfer Scholars, selecting 90 community college students from across the nation to receive scholarships of up to $55,000 per year for up to three years to complete their bachelor's degrees at four-year institutions.
This year's cohort, one of the largest in the Foundation's 25-year history, was selected from more than 1,600 applicants nationwide, with 90 students chosen from a semifinalist pool of 467. The scholarship aims to create 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. Beyond financial support, the scholarship provides recipients with personalized advising, access to a network of over 3,400 Cooke Scholars and Alumni, and opportunities for internships, study abroad programs, and graduate school support.
The 2025 Cooke Transfer Scholars
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
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has awarded almost $304 million in scholarships to more than 3,400 students since 2000, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $136 million in grants to organizations that serve promising students with financial need.
