December 2024 Newsletter

Posted December 17, 2024 | By Julia Florence

 

As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journeys of our Scholars. For many of our Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars, their time at community colleges was a significant part of those journeys. These institutions were not merely stepping stones, but transformative, foundational experiences that provided the skills, confidence, and opportunities that shaped their futures.

Take Carla Galaise, a Cooke Transfer Scholar now enrolled at Stanford University. She began taking online courses at the Community College of Vermont while working full-time as a single mom. Later, she transferred to Northwestern Community College in Connecticut. At Northwestern, Carla thrived as a peer mentor and was elected to represent 40,000 learners as the chair of the state’s Board of Regents Student Advisory Committee. She even interned at the Connecticut State Capitol, where her story helped lead to legislation banning child marriage.

For Ashleigh Pierce, community college was a lifeline. Despite difficult personal challenges and the loss of a family member, she enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. By the end of her first semester, she had earned a 4.0 GPA – and a spot on the President’s List. That strong academic start put Ashleigh on the path to a Cooke Transfer Scholarship and the University of Southern Mississippi, where she’s now pursuing a degree in social work.

Cooke Transfer Scholar Arsany Mason’s journey to Amherst College, meanwhile, began with a counterintuitive choice. School had long taken a back seat to the challenges of growing up in and out of the foster care system. During his senior year, Arsany made a final push to focus on his education. That hard work brought him to a life-changing decision: he could play Division III football at a four-year university or attend a two-year college. He chose to attend Richard Bland College, a small, two-year college, convinced that it would better prepare him for his long-term goals. Today, as he excels at Amherst, it’s clear his instincts were right.

Some Cooke Transfer Scholars have even been invited back to their community colleges to help inspire current students. Ryan Liu, who is one of a small group of students to transfer from a community college to Yale University, holds an elected position at Pasadena City College where he attended. He was recently named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his advocacy of affordable and accessible higher education. Ryan continues to credit his time at PCC for his success, returning to campus to take his law school graduation photos and deliver a commencement address.

Another Scholar who exemplifies the value that community colleges can provide is Israah Ansari. Earlier this year, Israah, now a student at Johns Hopkins University, served as the keynote speaker at Howard Community College’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. As HCC’s student body president, Israah was deeply involved in student life and advocacy. While recently reflecting on her time at community college, Israah summed up the feelings shared by many of our Transfer Scholars. “It was genuinely one of the best eras of my existence,” she said, “and I will forever owe my accomplishments today to the growth I experienced during those days.”

These stories are a reminder of the pivotal role community colleges play in the lives of our Scholars. And also of the incredible value that community college students can bring to four-year colleges and universities after transfer. Community colleges are essential institutions that lay the groundwork for extraordinary achievements, and we’re grateful for the investments they’re making every day.

Warm regards,
Seppy Basili

 

Cooke Foundation Highlights

Wilmar A. Galvez Alfonso, a 2024 Cooke College Scholar attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, recently moderated a panel featuring NASA astronauts at the White House’s Young Latinos in the Space Industry event. Wilmar uses her platform, “Reaching for the Stars,” on social media to inspire other young women and underrepresented students to pursue aerospace careers. Her journey as an aspiring astronaut and aerospace engineering student exemplifies how Cooke Scholars are breaking barriers and creating pathways for future generations in STEM fields.

The Cooke Transfer Scholarship application is open! This award is for high-achieving community college students with financial need who want to transfer to a four-year college or university in fall 2025. Eligible applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher to apply. The January 9, 2025 deadline is approaching!

The Cooke Young Scholars Program application opens on Thursday, February 6! This highly selective, five-year pre-college scholarship supports seventh-grade students with exceptional academic promise and financial need. The program offers comprehensive academic and college advising, financial support for school and enrichment opportunities, and access to Cooke-sponsored summer programs and internships. Sign up for notification reminders here so you’re ready when the application goes live!

 

News for High-Achieving Students

On November 18, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) reopened to all applicants. While the U.S. Department of Education has fixed many of the original problems from its initial rollout – and added 700 support staff to help users – the agency continues to address ongoing challenges, including glitches affecting students or parents without social security numbers and those who previously attended foreign schools.

College enrollment among 18-year-old freshmen dropped five percent this fall compared to last year, a decrease that is largely attributed to the troubled rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The decline was particularly pronounced at four-year institutions, with highly selective colleges seeing dramatic drops in enrollment among students of color – including a 19.6 percent decrease in Black freshman enrollment. Community colleges saw a modest decline of only 1.7 percent, but experts caution that this may indicate students are opting for more affordable alternatives due to uncertainty surrounding financial aid rather than signaling genuine recovery.

A new report from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), explores the benefits and challenges of implementing short-form, accelerated courses (SPOTs) in higher education. These shortened terms, such as January terms or eight-week classes, offer flexibility for nontraditional learners, working professionals, and students aiming to accelerate degree completion or maintain eligibility for financial aid. Though SPOTs can improve retention and efficiency, their outcomes vary by student demographics and institutional context.

 

What We’re Reading

The Christensen Institute – HBCUs and the potential for disruptive AI innovation

Fast Company – Break the monopoly on higher education pathways 

US News & World Report – Why College Freshman Enrollment Declined and What it Could Mean for Students

Inside Higher Education – Howard Expects to Gain R-1 Status. Other HBCUs Will Follow. 

Community College Daily – How community colleges can realize the full potential of apprenticeships

Forbes – Why Losing Sight Of The ‘Learning Value Of Work’ Is A Disaster For Students