Fifty Cooke Young Scholars From Around the Country Graduate into Prestigious College Scholarship Program
In 2018, this group of Young Scholars attended their first summer event together. They have now been named 2022 Cooke College Scholars.
Students participating in competitive grant program for high schoolers are awarded up to $55,000 a year for college by the
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Lansdowne, VA (February 11, 2022) – The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced today that 50 high school seniors participating in the Cooke Young Scholars program have been named Cooke College Scholars for the fall. Through the Cooke College Scholarship Program, the Foundation provides Scholars with up to $55,000 per year for up to four years to complete a bachelor’s degree. Cooke Scholars also have access to academic advising, internships, study abroad, and a thriving community of motivated peers. They will be eligible to apply for the Cooke Graduate Scholarship after completing their bachelor’s degree and could receive up to $150,000 in graduate school funding.
The students named today entered the Cooke Young Scholars Program during their 8th grade year. Together, they have attended summer programs on college campuses and participated in enrichment programs from Athens, Greece to Washington, DC.
Cooke Young Scholars and their families work one-on-one with educational advisers to create an individualized learning plan and maximize their high school experience. Members of this cohort have founded and led organizations, won regional and national academic competitions, published their works, been chosen as captains of teams, and conducted research at the collegiate level.
“It is exciting to see our Young Scholars move on in their academic journeys as they navigated through the complexities of hybrid learning and the hardships of COVID-19,” said Executive Director Seppy Basili. “We remain deeply committed to the continued support of our high-achieving students and look forward to witnessing their accomplishments along the way.”
The Young Scholars Program application is now open and accepting students for the Foundation’s 22nd cohort of exceptional young learners. High-achieving 7th graders have until March 9, 2022 to apply to this five-year pre-college scholarship. Visit the Foundation’s website to view eligibility requirements and begin the application.
The Cooke Young Scholars Program serves as a pathway to the Foundation’s prestigious College Scholarship; that application is open to high school seniors each fall. Recently, the Foundation announced that 411 high school seniors were selected as Cooke College Scholar Semifinalists from more than 5,300 applicants nationwide. Cooke College Scholar finalists will be selected in April for the cohort of 2022.
The names of the Cooke College Scholars from the Young Scholars Program can be found below, listed along with the states and high schools they represent.
California
Mekyla Basconcillo – Stevenson School
Genesis Guzman – Waverly School
Cionnie Pineda – Harvard-Westlake School
Tália Rangel – Thacher School
Fiona Tan – The Nueva School
Gigi Truong – Stanford University Online High School
Alina Vo – James Lick High School
Colorado
Laelim Jung – Fountain Valley School
District of Columbia
Mikaela Johnson – School Without Walls
Charles Minnis – Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
Florida
Isaiah Asbed – Canterbury School
Makenna Jenkins – Lehigh Senior High School
Joanne Lioe – Saint Petersburg Senior High School
Amid Louis – William H. Turner Technology & Arts High School
Cameron Martin – Alexander W Dreyfoos School Of The Arts
Nathalia Martinez – Lely High School
Gloria Ogbekhilu – Land O’ Lakes High School
Georgia
Elijah Herring – Valdosta High School
Stella Kwon – Brookwood High School
Avia Solomon – Douglas County High School
Illinois
Dylan Chhay – Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
Ezzat Suhaime Suhaime – Lake Forest Academy
Indiana
Katherine Beeson – The Culver Academies
Kentucky
Mary Rose Beeken – Lawrenceville School
Paige Lauren Kight – Paducah Tilghman High School
Louisiana
Jeremy Nelson – Ouachita Parish High School
Massachusetts
Sunning David – Salem High School
Karol Querido – Milton Academy
Michigan
Liam Oliva – Phillips Exeter Academy
Missouri
Alyssa Garciano – Truman High School
Xine Straka – Thomas Jefferson School
North Carolina
Althea Bennett – North Buncombe High School
Nebraska
Rose Chen – Phillips Exeter Academy
New Jersey
Sheikh Mahmud – Egg Harbor Township High School
New York
Thays Garcia – High School of American Studies
Camila Perez – Bard High School Early College II
Ohio
Colin Schillinger – Saint Ignatius High School
Pennsylvania
Katherine Lee – Conestoga High School
South Dakota
Mercedes Shangreaux – Choate Rosemary Hall
Lydia Whirlwind Soldier – Washington High School
Texas
Aly Muhammad Bijani – Saint Pius X High School
Zachary Inglis – Phillips Exeter Academy
Karen Mendoza – Awty International School
Mali Rauch – Phillips Exeter Academy
Roberto Salinas – Texas Academy of International & STEM Studies
Hawk Veluz – Heritage High School
Sarah Wang – Phillips Academy
Virginia
Adia Colvin – Cape Henry Collegiate School
Washington
Jose Blancarte Ramirez – Oregon Episcopal School
An additional Cooke Scholar opted not to be named in the press release.
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The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded over $230 million in scholarships to nearly 3,000 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $120 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org
Media Contact: Julia Florence, (571) 799-8067, media@jkcf.org