CRANFORD — UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ has announced that six students have been selected as semifinalists for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF) Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The JKCF award can provide up to $55,000 per year for two to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the United States.
The six semifinalists were selected from more than 1,600 applicants across the country and have at least a 3.5 GPA. Selected Cooke Transfer Scholars also will receive educational advising and have access to internship opportunities, studyabroad experiences, graduate-school funding, and connections to the network of more than 3,100 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni.
The UCNJ semifinalists include Mario Alvarado of Roselle, who is studying business; SophiaArgenziano of Clark, who is studying English; Zulemy Gomez-Londono of Elizabeth, who received an Associate Degree in visual arts from UCNJ; Precious Opaola of Linden, also a Kaplan Scholar, who is studying social services; Nicole Resende of Union Township, who is majoring in engineering; and Myrvens Sylvestre of Roselle, who is studying computer science.
“The UCNJ community is thrilled to have six semifinalists for this year’s Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. With the current financial climate, this is an incredible opportunity for our scholars to continue their education debt free. Our six semifinalists have worked hard, been involved on campus, and have big career aspirations. This scholarship presents a transformative opportunity for our students to secure funding and educational support, and we wish each of our six semifinalists the best of luck,” stated UCNJ President Margaret M. McMenamin, Ed.D.
“In light of the challenges that hinder many community-college students from achieving their goal of earning a bachelor’s degree, our Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship makes the journey more achievable and helps to eliminate the threat of student debt,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
The finalists for the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship will be announced in May. UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.
