April 2023
Cooke Alums at Scholars Weekend 2019
Compass Feature: Richard Shin
2003 Young Scholar, 2008 College Scholar, University of Virginia
Richard became a Cooke Young Scholar in 2003, and studied Chemistry as a College Scholar at University of Virginia. He now works as a consultant in the healthcare space for McKinsey & Company. In the below video, Richard shares how the Foundation’s internship stipend helped him gain valuable work experience.
If you’re interested in hosting a Cooke Scholar as an intern at your company, please fill out this form.
Robert Piemme
2019 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of Pittsburgh
Robert recently started a job with the Early Learning Resource Center, Region 5, as their Family Resource Navigator. He works with low- to moderate-income families and help them find and connect to resources for housing insecurity, utilities, food banks, clothing and furniture, education, and much more. In his role, he works closely with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
Although Robert didn’t plan to go into social services, a temporary summer job turned into a career with his current employer. What asked what he enjoys most about his current role, he shared, “I enjoy assisting families in finding resources for everything from housing and utility assistance, to food banks, job programs, and educational supports. This [role] requires me to have knowledge about a wide range of services, programs, nonprofits, and community groups. Since I started in May 2022, I have worked with over 600 families.”
You can learn more about Robert’s academic and professional journey here.
Dan Kim
2007 Graduate Scholar, University of Cambridge
The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced the leaders and staff joining the CHIPS for America team who will play key roles implementing the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act’s investments in the semiconductor industry. Cooke Alum Dan Kim is one of the leaders joining the team as the Chief Economist and Director of Strategic Planning and Industry Analysis. According to the official announcement, “Kim has unique expertise on economic competitiveness and national security matters related to the semiconductor industry, having served in senior roles in the U.S. government and executive positions in industry.”
You can read the full press release here.
Munira Alimire
2018 College Scholar, Stanford University
For the past few months, Munira has been working as the Community Development Director at the City Of Zumbrota, Minnesota. Munira focuses specifically on Planning, Economic Development, and Housing in Zumbrota. Munira shared that, “in small towns across America, city staff have limited resources, funding, and time to deal with the present; and consequently have to deprioritize planning for the future. My employer (Community Economic Development Associates) solves this by sending community support staff, providing comprehensive planning services and funding business support programs.”
You can learn more about Munira’s academic and professional journey here.
Ousmane Kabre
2013 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ousmane Kabre, who is an alum of Madison College and served as former Wisconsin Technical College System State Ambassador, is the founder and developer of YAM Education, Inc. His organization recently entered an agreement with Madison College, which realizes Ousmane’s longtime vision of giving more African students access to the same high-quality business education he experienced.
According to the official announcement, “YAM is intentionally designed as an online educational platform with offline capabilities. This allows it to work in remote and low-connectivity areas (like Africa) without compromising the educational content. YAM will license small business and entrepreneurship curricula from Madison College and offer it within its educational platform.”
You can read the official press release here.
Julia Gensheimer
2015 College Scholar, 2019 Graduate Scholar, University of California at Los Angeles
Julia Gensheimer has been selected as a UC President’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Fellow for their 72nd gathering in Physiology & Medicine in Lindau, Germany. The fellowship is an incredible opportunity for a select number of young scientists from across the world to spend a week learning from Nobel Laureates. Julia is a fourth-year student in the UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). She completed the first two years of med school at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is in her second year of the PhD in Molecular Biology. Currently, Julia studies T cell development from stem cells in the Crooks lab at UCLA.
You can read the Lindau press release here.
The Latest from the CookeAlumni.org Blog
Upcoming Event: My Entrepreneurship Journey Virtual Chat
Date: Thursday, May 4th from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET
Are you interested in starting your own company? Do you want to hear best practices to help with your own non-profit? Hear from four Cooke Alums who have successfully started their own education non profits and the lessons they have learned along the way.
Register here.
Calling for Cookie Recipes!
Deadline to submit: Friday, May 26th
Cooke Alum Maile Harris recently had the incredible idea to collect cookie recipes from fellow Cookie Cousins and compile them into a recipe book called The Cookie Jar. This recipe book will be given as a gift from Cooke Alums to new College Scholars and new Undergraduate Transfer Scholars at Scholars Weekend 2023.
You probably remember how much the support and excitement from Cooke Alums meant to you as a new Scholar as you transitioned into the community. We’re hoping this recipe book can serve as a resource for Scholars to try new recipes, and also as a source of motivation with words of encouragement from Cooke Alums.
We plan to distribute the book as a gift for new Scholars during Scholars Weekend 2023. If you're interested in having your recipe printed in the recipe book, please fill out this form.
Calling Alums for a May Blog Feature
Do you identify as neurodivergent, or someone whose brain works differently than that of a neurotypical brain? Maybe you have a medical diagnosis, a learning challenge, or other condition that causes you to see and experience the world in a different way.
If so, we would love to talk to you for an upcoming blog post about Cooke Scholar and Alumni experiences with being neurodivergent in school and beyond.
Please email us at alumni@jkcf.org if you are willing to participate in a short interview in the next couple weeks.
Submit Internship Opportunities for Cooke Scholars
Let’s open professional doors for Cooke Scholars by offering summer internships. If you or your employer are hiring for summer 2023, we can advertise your opportunities within the Scholar community. Click here to share the details.
The Cooke Foundation summer internship stipend funds Scholars who participate in unpaid internships at nonprofit and government organizations. If any of the following apply to you, we would love to work with you to create internships for Cooke Scholars to support your work:
You work for or volunteer with a nonprofit organization
You are a government employee
You have started your own nonprofit organization
You are a teacher or professor doing research or academic work over the summer
You had a great unpaid summer internship at an organization that continues to hire summer interns
You have friends or colleagues at U.S.-based nonprofit organizations who are looking for summer interns
Tell us about the opportunity. Jennifer Krasilovsky, Dean of Career Services, will be in touch with you to discuss the possibility of setting up an internship.
Calling Alums to Host Virtual Chats
Do you have a career or academic topic that you’re passionate about? Are you looking to share your experience and skills with the Cooke community? We would love to help you host an alumni virtual chat!
Please email alumni@jkcf.org if you’re interested in hosting a virtual chat! Include your name, chat topic, and your preferred dates and availability. You can also check out this link to see examples of past virtual events.
A screenshot from “After You Get the White Coat: What a Career in Medicine is Really Like.” Watch the recording here.
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 2010