February 2021

Cooke Scholar Alumni Buzz

Hello Cooke Scholars and Alums!

We hope that this message finds you well! In particular, those community members who have been negatively impacted by the recent severe winter weather that has caused hardships for so many throughout the United States. It was good to talk to a number of you that have been affected and to learn that you and your families are safe and doing well. Here’s an update on what’s going on at the Foundation and some of the great things your fellow Cooke Scholars have done recently. Alums, please reach out and send us your updates so we can feature you and your work! Just send us an email at alumni@jkcf.org.

Foundation Buzz

Career Pathways Connections

Have you connected with a Cooke Scholar or Alum recently about your academic and professional interests? If yes, make sure to let us know by visiting the Career Pathways Connections webpage and completing the survey by Sunday, February 28th so we can send you a Thrive Together swag item. Those of you we’ve heard from already who have made connections are having great experiences, and that’s been wonderful to hear! If you’re just reading about this initiative for the first time, during the months of January and February, we’ve been celebrating and recognizing the network-building that members of our community participate in to help scholars and alums explore potential careers and achieve professional success.

New Blog: We Are Cooke Scholars… Let’s Make It Known!

In the latest blog, members of the Alumni Engagement Council discuss ways alums can support to better market the Cooke Scholarship to become a household name. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is still in its infancy compared to several other prestigious scholarships, but every day, we as scholars and alumni have the opportunity to spread the word about the amazing work of this scholarship. Read more here.

Young Scholars Affinity Groups: Looking for Moderators

The Foundation’s Young Scholars Program team is seeking moderators for our Black, BIPOC, Latinx, Asian American, GSA and Cross-cultural Affinity Groups. These affinity groups are being created to provide safe spaces for Cooke Young Scholars (8-12 grade) to discuss their shared experiences. Moderators will be asked to facilitate one discussion on a topic of interest during their session. If you are interested, please complete the Interest Form by March 1st.

February Alumni Career Pathways Virtual Chat: How Romantic Relationships Can Support Your Career Growth

On Wednesday, February 17th, the Alumni Engagement Council hosted a virtual event that featured a fun and informative panel conversation and live Q&A with Cooke Scholar Alums Adam Eide, Christa Finley, Everett Perry-Johnson, and Kristina Weaver, which was moderated by fellow alum Alessandro Bailetti. They discussed how romantic relationships can support your professional and career growth, and shared the impact those relationships have had on their own personal journeys. This conversation also marks the first time, to our knowledge, that large roadside fiberglass animals were cited as playing an important role in a scholar’s relationship, check out the video below!

March Alumni Virtual Chat: Financial Literacy – Getting Your Money Right

It’s time to have a very important conversation: how to get your money right. On Wednesday, March 31st, please join the Alumni Engagement Council for a virtual event with a panel of alumni who will be discussing the essentials of financial literacy, managing money, and building wealth. This conversation will be helpful to those who have years under their belt working full-time, the recent college graduate who is now making money and looking for the best ways to invest and save, and even those still in school who want to learn from those who went before them. Please join us for this informative event. A formal invitation will be sent in the coming weeks, but you can register for the event right now here, we look forward to seeing you there!

Alumni Buzz

Michael Sutton

2007 Young Scholar; 2012 College Scholar, Duke University; 2016 Graduate Scholar, Columbia University

This month, Michael was featured in Columbia's Department of Biomedical Engineering's Blaze. In the article, Michael talks about his academic journey thus far as a 5th year PhD candidate, his experience as a Columbia BME graduate student, and his advice to future BME students. In his graduate studies, Michael has worked in various labs and studied how to use the body's natural bone remodeling process to develop more effective therapeutics for osteoporosis, and the utilization of engineered surfaces and biomaterials to study T-cell mechanobiology.

Dr. Rachel Breman

2002 Graduate Scholar, Johns Hopkins University

The University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) School of Nursing website recently featured Rachel’s research and the challenges she has encountered doing her work in maternal health care during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The last few years have been quite eventful for Dr. Breman since she started working as an assistant professor at UMB School of Nursing shortly after she earned her PhD in 2018. In 2019, Dr. Breman received a KL2 grant from the university to continue her training and refine an intervention for shared decision-making during intrapartum care/childbirth. And this past year she received a certificate from UMB in Implementation and Dissemination Research.

Melissa Cunningham

2015 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar & 2018 Graduate Scholar, University of Southern Maine

Melissa is currently studying to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and will complete her master's degree in nursing in May 2022. She began the clinical portion of her program this spring at Maine Medical Center where she participates in psychiatric consultations and covering the psychiatric emergency department with preceptor Ellen Assante, PMHNP. Melissa also works as an RN-BSN Clinical Nurse II on an inpatient psychiatric unit and provides nursing care to individuals with a wide range of psychiatric conditions and medical comorbidities. She plans to work in a community clinic setting upon graduation and provide services and support to individuals experiencing substance use disorders, homelessness, and other mental health concerns.

Matteo Pangallo

2005 Graduate Scholar, King's College of London & University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Matteo’s latest book, Shakespeare’s Audiences, which he co-edited with Dr. Peter Kirwan, will be published this March. In this book, Dr. Pangallo and Dr. Kirwan explore how Shakespeare’s audiences, from the sixteenth century to the present, have responded to his work and in what ways consumers have engaged with the performance of Shakespeare’s plays across different cultural contexts, periods, and platforms. To learn more about the book check out this website. In addition to this wonderful accomplishment, Dr. Pangallo continues his work as an Assistant Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Norris Guncheon

2005 Young Scholar; 2010 College Scholar, New York University; 2017 Graduate Scholar, Columbia University

Norris recently finished co-directing and editing a music video for John Splithoff’s latest single Fahrenheit. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Norris is a filmmaker and creative writer, and you can check out more of his work and collaborations at his website. Check out the music video below - Norris even makes a few appearances!

Throw Back Photo of the Month

Cooke FoundationFebruary 26, 2021