December 2022
Cooke Alumni at Scholars Weekend 2022
A Message from Gabby Nicholas, your new Program Manager for Alumni Engagement
Thank you all for the warm welcome into this position. I wanted to include a quick hello video to accompany my first Alumni Buzz. Please enjoy the December edition and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or updates!
Emann Odufu
2002 Young Scholar, 2007 College Scholar, The New School
Last month, Emann Odufu interviewed Lisane and Jeanine Basquiat about the King Pleasure exhibition centering Jean-Michel Basquiat’s story and work. Similar to his own career, Emann loved seeing the Basquiat family come together to create a legacy, especially in the arts.
Emann Odufu at the “Money” exhibition he curated for artist Samuel Stabler
Emann also recently curated his first show for artist Samuel Stabler called “Money” at the National Arts Club in New York City. When asked about a highlight of the show, Emann spoke to the NYC Cooke Scholars and Alumni meetup, “It was amazing having JKC Alumni in NYC come out to see the show as part of the annual Alumni activities for Jack Kent Cooke’s birthday.
“I really enjoyed talking with the Scholar community about the show, which was about money, markets and its connection to the entertainment, sports, and tech industries. To me these are all things that relate to the legacy of Jack Kent Cooke.
The show was based around showcasing money in a way that did not glorify or condemn it and showed the multidimensionality of this thing that we all use everyday. The Foundation is an example of the good that money can do in the world and that it can also be a tool for making a positive impact and creating a brighter future. My story and the stories of the rest of the Scholar community are examples of that. I’ve been a Scholar with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation since I was 12 or 13 (young scholar), so my connection to the Foundation is very personal.”
As far as what’s next, Emann will be curating a show for Anselm Reyle, a contemporary German artist, at MoCA Westport in Connecticut opening March 18th.
You can follow Emann’s work here.
Traci D. Williams
Traci D. Williams (left) with Composer Steven Crino (right)
2015 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2022 Graduate Scholar, Morgan State University
On November 12th, Traci recently had her writing and poem performed at the Consciously Creative Collaborators performance in Philadelphia, PA alongside fellow Cooke Alum Evan Kassof. A storyteller and an activist, Traci ‘s piece “Hamaritia” was composed by Steven Crino and performed by vocalist and opera singer Elise Mark. The world premiere of “Hamaritia” received a standing ovation, “To know that this really beautiful, powerful product came out of those exchanges [emails, text messages, and phone calls with the composer], was great.”
You can look forward to a deeper look at Traci’s art activism journey, which will be featured in the January Alumni Buzz.
Shayla Esarey
2013 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of California at Berkeley
Shayla recently started a new position at KGH Autism Services as a Behavior Technician where she will be working with children diagnosed with autism and other spectrum disorders providing them one-on-one teaching in coping skills, social and academic skills, and communication. She is excited for the challenges that will allow her to get back on track to earning her BCBA and the opportunities for research in the field of behavioral analysis. To learn more about Shayla’s academic and professional journey, click here.
Dr. Ian Ralby
2002 Graduate Scholar, William & Mary Law School
Earlier this year, Dr. Ian Ralby accepted the position of President of Auxilium Worldwide, a charity (pending 501(c)(3)). He is looking forward to working with some of the people he most respects, “People whose expertise is exceptional and care for the world is unequivocal - to identify areas that are not being addressed and to meaningfully contribute to global harmony…We all have a stake in this work, so we welcome everyone's involvement.” To learn more about Dr. Ralby’s academic and professional journey, click here.
The Latest from the CookeAlumni.org Blog
Rex Ledesma
2010 Young Scholar, 2015 College Scholar, University of Maryland
In response to the 5th Circuit Court's decision on October 5 to deem the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy illegal, Cooke Alumni Rex Ledesma and other DACA recipients from the state of New York -- with support from FWD.us, a bipartisan political organization advocating for pro-immigration reform -- met with senators and members from their congressional district to demand legislative action to provide protections for DACA recipients.
From the perspective of immigration advocates, the urgency for reform before the start of the new year is higher than ever: control in the upcoming Congress will be divided between Democrats and Republicans, and it will be extraordinarily difficult to introduce an immigration reform bill.
You can read more about Rex’s work here.
Alums, Help Us Welcome our Newest Members to the Alumni Community
Do you want to help welcome the newest group of Cooke Alumni to the community? We’re looking for video messages from alumni welcoming our Winter 2022 and Spring 2023 graduates.
If you would like to participate in the welcome video, please send in a 10-30 second video, following the tips in this video submission guidelines page and email it to studio@jkcf.org.
Latest Photos from Regional Chapter Celebrations for Mr. Cooke’s Birthday
Meet your 2022-2023 Alumni Engagement Council
Please join us in welcoming the 2022-2023 Alumni Engagement Council members. The Alumni Engagement Council consists of Alums representing the diverse backgrounds, strengths, scholarship programs, professional experiences, and geographic distribution that empower our Cooke Scholar and Alumni community. The council organizes and creates a strong continuum of support and engagement through promoting the growth of the larger Cooke Scholar Alumni community to serve as Ambassadors, Mentors, and Champions.
Learn more about the council members here.
Calling Applications for the Graduate Scholarship!
The Graduate Scholarship is awarded to outstanding Cooke Scholars and recent Alums to support them to complete graduate degrees at top institutions. Applications for the Graduate Scholarship are due January 10, 2023.
Share an update with us!
Alums, do you want to be featured in an upcoming Alumni Buzz? Do you have an academic, professional, or personal update to share? We would love to hear it!
Throwback Photo: Cooke Scholars at Scholars Weekend 2019