February 2024
Cooke Alums at Scholars Weekend 2023 - Don’t forget to apply to attend Scholars Weekend 2024 on Monday, February 5th!
Compass Feature: Tanner Mathison
2002 Young Scholar, 2007 College Scholar, 2012 Graduate Scholar, University of Pennsylvania
Tanner became a Cooke Young Scholar in 2002, and attended Holderness School in New Hampshire. He then went on to study Political Science and Government as a College Scholar at Dartmouth College. After becoming a Graduate Scholar, Tanner earned his law degree at University of Pennsylvania. After working in both corporate law and government, he now is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School. In the below video, Tanner shares about the evolution of his interest within the legal field.
Compass Feature: Cate Kandle
Watch the latest installment in our Cooke Alum interviews featuring Cate Kandle, a 2017 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar from Central Florida. Cate currently runs her own farm in Central Florida called Open Hands Farms. In the interview below, she shares about her journey in undergrad and her experience selling her produce and flowers for the first time at a local farmers market.
You can follow Cate’s farm on Instagram at @catefarms.
Derrick Arthur-Cudjoe
2016 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2022 Graduate Scholar, Cornell University
Derrick’s film and photography journey was featured in VoyageLA Magazine. In his interview, he shares about his journey creating a fashion photography venture, and his non profit, Motive 8 Global.
Derrick highlighted how his work allows him to pour time and resources into his non profit, “Through Motive 8 Global, we have been able to contribute to meaningful change in Ghana, my homeland. From donating vital resources to hospitals to the renovation of a 13-unit classroom and creating spaces for arts and science education, our non-profit has played a crucial role in supporting education and healthcare delivery in underserved communities. This work goes beyond the lens, illustrating the transformative power of visual storytelling in making a positive impact.”
You can read the full interview here.
Jasmine Yoon
2003 Graduate Scholar, University of Virginia
In January, Jasmine was nominated by President Biden to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
She has been the Vice President of Corporate Integrity, Ethics, and Investigations at Capital One Financial Corporation since 2022. Previously, Jasmine worked as Interim University Counsel and Associate University Counsel at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville from 2019-22. Prior to that, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2010-16. Jasmine received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2006 and her B.A. from the University of Virginia in 2003.
Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA, shared that, “Active in the AANHPI (Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) community, if confirmed, Ms. Yoon, a former board member of APABA-VA (Asian Pacific American Bar Association for Attorneys and Lawyers in Virginia), would be the first Asian American to serve as an Article III judge in Virginia.” Additionally, she would become the first person of color to serve as a federal judge for the Western District of Virginia.
You can read the full press release from The National Voice of the Asian Pacific American Legal Community here.
Christopher LeFlore
2007 Young Scholar, 2012 College Scholar, 2018 Graduate Scholar, University of Michigan
Chris recently started a new position as an Associate Program Officer at The Kresge Foundation’s Detroit Office. The Kresge Foundation is a philanthropic private foundation that works to expand opportunity in America's cities through grantmaking and social investing. Prior to this role, Chris was the Special Assistant to the President at the Foundation.
On this new chapter, Chris shared, “I'm just happy this new role gives me a chance to work deeper with my community. After 2.5 years working for Kresge, and really a decade now working in community development, I feel like things are starting to fit into place for me. I still have a lot to learn and I'm so excited that I have the opportunity to do so.”
You can connect with Chris on LinkedIn here.
The Latest from the CookeAlumni.org Blog
Our February Catchin’ Up with a Cookie blog post features Cooke Alum Sarah Schwab, a 2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar and 2023 Graduate Scholar at University of California San Diego School of Medicine.
In this Career Snapshots blog, Cooke Alum Scott Pine shares about his career in SaaS (Software as a Service) Sales at Google. Read more about his academic and career journey, and the advice he has for fellow Cooke Scholars and Alums interested in the field. Read his blog here.
Upcoming Events
Public Speaking 3-Part Series
Are you interested in cultivating your public speaking skills? Register for our Public Speaking Skill-Building Workshop! This virtual, three-part series, led by Cooke Alums, is intended to be completed in order. Register for the workshops below to learn tips to improve public-speaking skills, and practice what you learned in small groups.
Register here for Public Speaking Workshop Part 1 held on February 21 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m ET and led by Cooke Alum Bérénice Sylverain.
Register here for Public Speaking Workshop Part 2 held on April 18 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET and led by Cooke Alum Kevin Bernal-Rivera.
Our final Public Speaking Workshop Part 3 will be held at a later date and led by Cooke Alum Ousmane Kabré.
Stay Tuned for the 2024 Scholars Weekend Application and Alumni Survey!
We will be opening applications this Monday for approximately 90 Alums to join us for Scholars Weekend 2024, which will be hosted at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, VA from Thursday, August 1st to Sunday, August 4th.
We are looking for a diverse group of Alums to provide guidance, networking opportunities, and advice to Scholars to navigate their college and career journeys.
Please be on the lookout for an Alum survey and SW24 application link in your inboxes this Monday, February 5. If for some reason you don’t receive the email on Monday, please send a message to alumni@jkcf.org.
Alums - Help our Scholars Secure Summer Internships
Alums, here are 3 ways you can help connect Scholars with employers for summer internships.
Advertise internship opportunities from your network in the Cooke Scholar and Alum LinkedIn group.
Recommend or sponsor Scholar applicants for your employer’s internship program.
Hire a Scholar intern.
The Cooke Summer Internship Stipend provides $6,000 stipends for Scholars to intern full-time at nonprofit or government organizations. Please reach out to Dean of Career Services, Jennifer Krasilovsky (jkrasilovsky@jkcf.org) with any questions or leads. Let’s use the power of our Cooke Alum community to boost Scholars’ career advancement!
Save the Date for Cooke Connections: Northern California
The Foundation is headed to Northern California for our next Cooke Connections event! Scholars and Alums who attend Cooke Connections events will have access to unique, in-person professional networking and community building opportunities.
Mark your calendars for April 4-5, 2024. Updates and registration links will be shared here.
Apply for the 2024 Cooke Scholar and Alumni Awards
We are happy to announce that applications are now open for the two 2024 monetary awards for Cooke Scholars and Alums.
The Undergraduate Scholar Award in Honor of Dennis I. Belcher is a $5,000 award that may be given annually to one or more current Cooke Scholars.
The Matthew J. Quinn Prize is a $10,000 award that may be given annually to one or more current Cooke Graduate Scholars or Cooke Alums.
The awards are designed to recognize Cooke Scholars and Alums who have demonstrated outstanding achievement during the prior three years (January 2021 through December 2023). Such achievements might include the development of an innovative solution to a societal problem, creation of a significant community program, or publication of an important work. The outstanding achievement must demonstrate impact and touch the lives of others in meaningful ways.
The deadline to apply for these awards is Friday, March 1, 2024. Apply 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 Alums at Scholars Weekend 2019