Two Massasoit Students Receive Prestigious Jack Kent Cook Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships
June 2, 2016 – Massasoit Community College is proud to announce that students Dalena Nguyen and Nicholas Trent have been awarded Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships, worth up to $40,000 a year, to complete a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. Massasoit was one of only 11 community colleges nationwide to have more than one recipient of this scholarship.
Dalena Nguyen of Brockton aims to become an osteo-oncologist conducting research on bone cancer. She also hopes to prove free health care and improve access to safe drinking water in developing countries. While studying at Massasoit Community College, Dalena has taken advantage of every opportunity that is offered for a student studying math and science, including conducting an honors project investigating the antibiotic resistance in native soil bacteria, writing literature reviews, and developing protocols.
Nick Trent, also a resident of Brockton, is a first-generation college student and a member of the Commonwealth Honors Program. He will graduate from the Liberal Arts Transfer program with a 3.80 grade point average. He plans to attend Tufts University in the fall to study linguistics. In the future, he plans to earn a Ph.D. in the hopes of becoming a professor of linguistics while researching artificial intelligence and coding language. While studying at Massasoit Community College, Nick was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Vice President of the Student Senate, President of the Creative Writing Club, and Managing Editor of the Literary Journal “The Lantern.”
Nick and Dalena were chosen from among a competitive nationwide pool of community college students. All of the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars have financial need and strong records of academic achievement as proven by their grades, leadership skills, awards, extraordinary service to others, and perseverance in the face of adversity.
“Massasoit Community College is profoundly proud of the achievements of Dalena and Nick,” said Dr. Charles Wall, president of the College. “We are pleased to see them honored for their hard work and academic excellence and look forward to seeing their future successes.”
The Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is the largest private scholarship in the nation for students transferring from two-year community colleges to four-year institutions that award bachelor’s degrees.
“The Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholars have a long record of success at the most selective colleges and graduate schools,” said Cooke Foundation Executive Director Harold O. Levy. “These extraordinary young people have proven repeatedly and conclusively that top community college students have the ability to thrive in top four-year colleges.”
Cooke Scholarships fund the costs of attending college not covered by other financial aid, plus academic advising, stipends for internships, study abroad, and opportunities to network with other Cooke Scholars and alumni. In addition, after earning a bachelor’s degree, each Cooke Scholar will be eligible for a scholarship for graduate school worth up to $50,000 a year for up to four years.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. It offers the largest scholarships in the U.S., comprehensive counseling and other support services to students from 8th grade to graduate school. Since 2000 it has awarded about $147 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 students and $90 million in grants to organizations that serve outstanding low-income students. www.jkcf.org