Two Orange Coast College students have been selected as semifinalists in the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship competition.
Bernardo Moreno-Arteaga and Asumi Yamamoto are 2 out of 82 California nominees and 450 national students selected as semi-finalists for the 2023 Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships. This highly selective accolade is among the most significant private scholarships for the nation's top community college transfer students.
The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is a prestigious national award that supports high-achieving community college students as they transfer to top four-year institutions to complete their bachelor’s degrees. Semifinalists are chosen from a pool of nearly 1,500 applications attending 369 schools in 45 states and the District of Columbia.
Winners of the scholarship will be announced in April. Each selected scholar will receive financial support for up to three years, college planning services, ongoing advising, and the opportunity to connect with a community of fellow Cooke Scholars.
Cooke Transfer Scholars are chosen based on exceptional academic achievement, financial need, persistence, service to others, and leadership. Students must be currently enrolled at a community college and residing in the United States.
“I am super happy. I worked so hard at OCC and think it is very good it is paying off,” bioengineering student and JKC semifinalist Bernardo Moreno Arteaga said. “I got a fresh start at community college. I got to explore what I like and found that I am passionate about research.”