August 2021
Cooke Scholar Alumni Buzz
Hello Cooke Scholars and Alumni!
It was great to “see” so many of our new and old community members earlier this month at Scholars Weekend 2021! We hope those of you who were able to attend had as great of a time as we did! For those of you who couldn’t join us, we’ve recorded a number of the sessions and will be making them available for you to watch soon! Here’s an update on what’s going on in the community and some of the great things your fellow Cooke Scholars have done recently. Alums, we’d love to hear what’s new in your lives so we can feature you and your work! Just send us an email at alumni@jkcf.org.
Community Buzz
Scholars Weekend 2021
Earlier this month, we gathered our Cooke Scholar and Alumni community together for a very memorable (and virtual) Scholars Weekend! We enjoyed familiar traditions like the Cooke Conundrum and Talent Show, informative sessions led by Alumni, Scholars, and staff that explored various academic and career pathways, and informal hangouts where we met new faces and reconnected with old friends. This year’s event also highlighted alumni who were making the world a better place in their careers, and how their education background helped chart the way for their professional paths. If you missed any of these activities, stay tuned for an email with links for recordings from the event. You can also go to Cooke Connect if you would like to connect with scholars and alumni from Scholars Weekend 2021. Below is a video from Cooke Scholar Alum Gabby Nicholas on how to get started on the platform that will help you stay connected with the community.
Help Discover the Next Cohort of Cooke Scholars
As you know, applications will be opening soon for the Foundation's College and Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Programs. We invite your help in recruiting the next generation of Cooke Scholars by becoming a part of the Cooke Outreach Representative Program (CORP). We believe that no one can speak more authentically than Cooke Scholars and Alumni about the impact of our scholarship programs. Find out more about how you can join CORP and start supporting our outreach efforts today!
Be a Panelist for a Career Pathways Exchange Virtual Chat
Beginning September 2021, Cooke Scholar Alumni will continue to host Career Pathways Exchange Virtual Chats to discuss topics impacting our everyday lives - from our careers to our personal lives to our communities. Last academic year, we covered topics that included preparing for a career in select industries, financial literacy, and other important topics including mental health and social justice. These discussions provide an opportunity for the Cooke Scholar and Alumni community to learn from each other and share wisdom. For alums interested in serving as a panelist on a topic you are passionate about, please fill out this form.
Alumni Buzz
2010 Young Scholar; 2015 College Scholar, Stanford University
Tashrima was recently featured in an NPR article about the growing trend of talented young professionals who are no longer attracted to investment banking despite surging salaries and record company profits. In Tashrima’s case, she worked on Wall Street at J.P. Morgan, but quit to join Facebook where she is currently involved in the company's efforts to improve election integrity.
2013 Undergraduate Transfer, University of California, Los Angeles
This summer, Scott started a new job at Headspace - an organization helping other companies improve the health, engagement, and productivity of their employees through mindfulness and meditation. Practicing meditation changed Scott’s life and supported him through college, and he wants to invite others to mindfulness in this new role. Scott looks forward to having conversations with leaders about how stress, burnout, and anxiety impacts their employees, and how Headspace for Work contributes to more resilient, compassionate, and higher-performing organizations.
2010 Undergraduate Transfer, Grand Valley State University; 2012 Graduate Scholar, Ferris State University
Justin has worked to strengthen people and transform communities since 2002. During Scholars Weekend 2021, he spoke on an engaging panel about “Why Your Major Doesn't Have to Define Your Career” and shared the strategies he used when he was in school and the advice he often gives to other students. The recording of this event will be shared in the near future. Justin is currently the director of a government program at Champaign County Regional Planning Commission that advances career education, job readiness, on-the-job training, and school-to-work opportunities for job seekers and employers. As a leader, he works to inform public policy and promote collective impact by championing best practices among stakeholders.
2014 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Stevens Institute of Technology; 2018 Graduate Scholar, University of California at Davis
Ana’s love and passion for data analytics and computer science recently got her a job working at Google as a Technical Program Manager. She is a passionate advocate for diversity and opportunities in STEM, supporter of recruiting efforts at her alma mater UC Davis, and an active CORP member helping the Foundation discover the next generation of Cooke Scholars. In the picture to the right, you can check out Cooke Scholar Alum’s María Valentina De Abreu cool t-shirt present to celebrate Ana’s next journey!
2003 Young Scholar; 2007 College Scholar, Harvard University
This past year, Ola started working at Firefly Health as a business analyst. Firefly is a healthcare company that offers “empathy-driven virtual primary care, administered by a world-class clinical team and network of trusted clinical partners, powered by intuitive technology and (finally) built around people.” During Scholars Weekend, Ola shared during the Job Talk sessions about her journey to her current company and how she landed upon her passion at the intersection of data analytics and healthcare. We look forward to sharing Ola and other alums’ Job Talk sessions soon!
2015 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of Texas at Austin
Luis recently carried his love for Ariana Grande and Tacos to Los Angeles where he started a new job at Sprinklr - utilizing his curiosity to help brands digitally transform their customer service experience. Sprinkler is also hiring for tech sales and finance roles among other positions! When he was little his mom gave him the nickname “goat” because like the goats he grew up with in his home ranch of Mexico; Luis was rarely silent. Instead you could often find Luis pestering his mom with questions that often started with “why.” This innate curiosity has led Luis to expand his horizons in diverse ways including working in the White House under the Obama Administration, filming a documentary, and advocating for LGBTQ rights.
Throwback Photo of the Month
Cooke Scholars at Scholars Weekend 2016