Many college students go through their education with debt, part-time jobs and plenty of stress. What if one scholarship could solve some of those issues? The Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship is an amazing opportunity for those looking for a chance to save money for college and make a decision that will last a lifetime. 

The scholarship is available each year for students who meet exceptional academic excellence and who are not currently attending a four-year institution. It is a scholarship that covers up to $55,000 per year to attend a four-year accredited institution. The scholarship was founded by Jack Kent Cooke, a philanthropist and entrepreneur, who left a large part of his estate to help students excel in their education. 

On Nov. 18, Beverly Bui held a zoom conference with past winners, Thyra Cobbs and Bérénice Sylverain, Cobbs being a LMC graduate and Sylverain graduating from Columbia University. The zoom informational meeting focused on how the scholarship has impacted both of their lives and their tips on applying.

Sylverain spoke about how the scholarship has helped her since winning earlier this year. 

“The foundation, they really provide what you need when it comes to your goals, your dreams and your vision. All you have to do is tell them what you want for yourself,” she said.

Sylverain explained that the scholarship isn’t just a scholarship, but it’s a foundation that wants to see you succeed.

“They understand, at times it’s not going to be set in stone, some people will change things. They are completely ok with that, as long as you communicate that with them and they can see that you are moving towards what you want to do. I don’t think there are enough words to describe how phenomenal and just incredibly supportive this foundation is,” she said.

Cobbs spoke about her tips and tricks on nailing the application process.

“Don’t rush. Ask people that you trust to look over your responses. I asked so many professors and faculty members at LMC to look over my application to see if my ideas were being conveyed in the way that I wanted to,” said Cobbs. “I also reached out to the scholarship department at LMC. Four words I would use in my application are resiliency, leadership, personal growth and philanthropy.”

Sylverian encouraged everyone who was interested in applying to start early. She gave the advice of working on your grades, community service and involving yourself more in your school clubs.

“It’s always good to start early and have a plan, it may not work out the way you wanted it to but somehow you will get to where you need to be, that’s what I believe. 

To apply to the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, you must be a current community college student or a recent graduate and plan to enroll into a four-year institution in fall of 2022. Applicants also must have a GPA of at least 3.5, demonstrate financial need and no previous enrollments in any four-year institution.

The deadline for this scholarship is Jan. 10, 2022. You can apply here.