Three sophomore students from Tyler Junior College have been named semifinalists for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.
Through this highly competitive community college transfer scholarship, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation supports high-achieving students as they transfer to some of the best four-year institutions in the country to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
This year’s 459 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,700 applicants attending 215 community colleges in 38 states and the District of Columbia.
Semifinalists from TJC are:
• Shota Gushima, a computer science major from Wakayama, Japan; member of the TJC Presidential Honors program, Alpha Omicron Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and International Relations Club; applying to transfer to Stanford, Rice or The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in management and technology; plans to work in next-generation, land-based fish farming.
• Amy Joffrion, a biology major from Whitehouse; member of Alpha Omicron Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, held several officer positions and mentors new officer teams; transferring to The University of Texas at Tyler and major in pre-med/biochemistry; plans to focus on improving the quality of the mental health sector in this area.
• Barbara Martin Moro, a journalism/mass communication major from Madrid, Spain; member of The Drumbeat student media, Alpha Omicron Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, and Saint John Paul II Campus Ministry, an off-campus student ministry for TJC and UT Tyler students; hopes to transfer to UT Tyler or a faith-based institution such as the Franciscan University of Steubenville, to study journalism, mass communication, and theology; plans to become a journalist in Catholic media and use her missionary background to spread a better understanding of the Catholic faith and to denounce the abuses being committed by members of the Catholic Church.
The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship recipients will be announced in April. Selected scholars will receive up to $55,000 per year, plus comprehensive educational advising and opportunities to connect with fellow Cooke Scholars.
Cooke Transfer Scholars are selected based on their exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service to others, and leadership. Students must be currently enrolled community college students or recent graduates residing in the United States.
“We are inspired every day by the hard work and dedication that our students put into achieving their goals,” said Dr. Deana Sheppard, TJC provost & vice president for academic and student affairs & chief academic officer. “We congratulate them on this incredible accomplishment, and we feel privileged that they chose TJC as the first step on their path to a successful future.”
“By lifting the financial burden of pursuing a four-year degree off their shoulders, our goal is to help students take full advantage of a four-year college experience without taking on student debt,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Cooke Foundation.
“This year’s selected semifinalists reflect the deep bench of talent across our community colleges today, and we’re looking forward to getting to know them better in our final application review process.”
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial needs. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded almost $250 million in scholarships to nearly 3,200 students from eighth grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services.
The Foundation has also provided over $125 million in grants to organizations that serve such students.