January 2024
Group photo from the Great Hill Partners company visit during Cooke Connections: Boston in November 2023
Compass Feature: Yanelle Cruz Bonilla
2017 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2020 Graduate Scholar, University of Oxford
Yanelle recently graduated from the University of Oxford earning an MS in Migration Studies and an MPhil in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation. Her dissertation examined how the built environments migrants live in can affect their physical and mental well-being, migrant sense of belonging, and identity formation. She also has extensive social and urban policy research experience and she's had a wide range of work experiences having held roles at The Prince's Foundation, Atlantic Media, Google, the Urban Institute, and the Latino Victory Project. In the below video, Yanelle shares more information about her research at Oxford. To connect with Yanelle on LinkedIn, click here.
Compass Feature: Joel Charles MD, MPH
Watch the latest installment in our Cooke Alum interviews featuring Joel Charles, a 2009 Graduate Scholar at the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Joel currently serves as Medical Director at the Kickapoo Valley Medical Clinic. Additionally, he is the president and co-founder of Healthy Climate Wisconsin, a group which empowers health professionals to advocate for Wisconsinites’ health through clean energy solutions. To connect with Joel on LinkedIn, click here.
Yasmine Arrington Brooks
2006 Young Scholar, 2011 College Scholar, 2015 Graduate Scholar, Howard University
Yasmine was honored during the 2023 CNN Heroes: An All-Stars Tribute gala for her leadership as the executive director of ScholarCHIPS. ScholarCHIPS is an organization that provides college scholarships, mentoring, mental health supports, and a peer support network to college-bound young adults who have incarcerated parents, inspiring them to complete their college education.
In her award speech, Yasmine shared, “Children of incarcerated parents all over the world: rise up! Knock down those barriers, open up those doors; you are worthy of all of the beautiful things that life has to offer.”
You can watch the feature on CNN here.
Sagar Chapagain
2015 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2019 Graduate Scholar, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine
Sagar recently graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine with his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, and is currently an Internal Medicine Resident Physician in the General Internal Medicine/Primary Care Track at Johns Hopkins University/Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
Sagar shared, “I graduated from Cornell in 2017 and did a year of clinical research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute as a part of their Doctoral Diversity Program. In 2019, I was very fortunately selected for the Foundation’s Graduate Scholarship, which opened the doors of University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Medicine for me. Being a physician is a long journey with a lot of hard work and sacrifice but totally worth it. I look forward to being a general internal medicine physician and public health/healthcare policy leader in the coming future. I would love to connect with Cookie cousins who are on a similar journey.”
To connect with Sagar on LinkedIn, click here.
Yessica Maltes Diaz
2016 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2018 Graduate Scholar, University of Miami
Yessica just started a new role as Tax Senior Manager at LerroSarbey, PLLC. In this new position, Yessica will be serving domestic and international individuals and families with their tax needs, “Our clients will range anywhere from simple personal tax returns to complex estate and trust issues.”
On this new chapter, Yessica shared, “I'm very excited for this opportunity and look forward to contributing to the firm's growth and success. I'm also incredibly grateful to my mentors over the years that played a significant role in my career that led to this new chapter.”
To connect with Yessica on LinkedIn, click here.
The Latest from the CookeAlumni.org Blog
Catchin’ Up with a Cookie: Hayley Furman
Our January Catchin’ Up with a Cookie blog post features Cooke Alum Hayley Furman, a 2019 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar at Stetson University. You can read more about her here.
On behalf of the entire Foundation: Happy New Year! We are so grateful to have you in our community, and we wish you a wonderful 2024.
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.
The Cooke Alum Mentoring Program (CAMP) is Now Open
The Foundation is excited to share that the Cooke Alumni Mentoring Program (CAMP), aimed at connecting Alumni and current Cooke Scholars with similar academic or professional interests is now open. We will be recruiting Cooke Alums and Cooke Graduate Scholars for this exciting and engaging mentorship opportunity.
CAMP mentors will meet two times with their mentees during the spring (virtually or in-person) to help establish a supportive and meaningful relationship that guides mentees along their academic and professional journeys. An Alum mentor can offer unique perspectives, widen networks, increase self-confidence, and provide invaluable support to help the mentee meet their goals.
The CAMP mentor application can be accessed 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!
Cooke Scholar Thomas Emens and Cooke Alum Jonathan Finnerty presented about the Transfer Scholarship at Middlesex College in New Jersey in November.