Lone Star College students named semifinalists for prestigious scholarship

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF) selected 17 Lone Star College students as semifinalists for its highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

“Being named semifinalists is a tremendous honor and these students should be proud of their accomplishments,” said Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., LSC Chancellor. “Lone Star College continues to redefine the community college experience.”

Finalists who complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities will receive up to $55,000 per year for up to three years to cover a substantial share of educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees.

The 17 LSC semifinalists are:

Benetta Akukw

Jessica Mays

Ingrid Amaya Reyes

Mykhailo Mazalevskyi

Tyra Casey

Etienne Ndem

Alex Castro

Minh Thu Nguyen

Gerri Esquivel

Rachel Schnakenberg

Amanda Hernandez

Adam Sepulveda

Sergio Iraheta

Amrin Vaid

Nicolas Khouri

Ana Vergara Gonzalez

Karen Martinez Fernandez

The semifinalists will be recognized June 7 at a special luncheon ceremony hosted by LSC Foundation at LSC-System Office, The Woodlands. LSC Foundation impacts students' lives daily by reducing the financial barriers to a quality college education. More than 20,000 students have felt that impact, with over $18.6 million awarded in scholarships and $8.5 million in program support since the Foundation's inception in 1991.

JKCF staff will provide all-inclusive educational advising to guide finalists as they transition to a four-year school and prepare for their careers.

“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 look forward to getting to know them better in our final application review process.”

This year’s 459 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,700 applicants attending 215 community colleges in 38 states. The Cooke Foundation will announce the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship recipients in early May. In all, 29 LSC students have been awarded the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship since 2012.

“Research estimates that roughly 50,000 high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds could transfer to four-year colleges each year but don’t, often due to cost,” said Katharine Caruso, Ph.D., LSC Associate Vice Chancellor Honors and International Education. “The Cooke Transfer Scholarship is designed to create a clear pathway to a four-year degree by offering up to $55,000 per year, academic advising and access to a network of peers.”