March 2024
Cooke Scholars and Alums at Cooke Connections: Boston - If you’re located in the Bay Area, don’t forget to register for Cooke Connections: Northern California.
Compass Feature: Joselyn Angeles-Figueroa
2017 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Macalester College
Joselyn became a Cooke College Scholar in 2017, and earned her degree in Sociology and Educational Studies at Macalester College. Joselyn now works as a research analyst in the youth development program area for Child Trends. In the below video, she shares about the importance of partnering with local organizations in your work.
You can connect with Joselyn on LinkedIn here.
Compass Feature: Ted Henley
Watch the latest installment in our Cooke Alum interviews featuring Ted Henley, a 2006 Graduate Scholar. Ted is currently the Assistant Director of Fine Arts at Cicero District 99 and the Associate Principal of Teaching and Learning at Unity Junior High. In the below conversation, Ted shares about his career journey and current roles.
You can connect with Ted on LinkedIn here.
Richael Young
2009 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Richael just started a new position as Senior Director, Water for the Future Program at Sustainable Conservation. In this role, Richael provides strategic guidance and support towards her team’s water goals.
Richael shared, “I have long admired Sustainable Conservation’s work and in particular its efforts to work in collaboration with, and not in opposition to, a number of different stakeholders. We collaborate with growers, conservationists, and policymakers to advance California’s water policy. I think the organization sits in a unique position to do what other interest groups cannot, which is to develop practical and science-based policy that we can further help to implement. That practice-to-policy work is especially exciting and fulfilling to me — that approach is ultimately what drew me to this role.”
You can read the full announcement from Sustainable Conservation here. You can connect with Richael on LinkedIn here.
Wyatt Deihl
2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Rollins College, 2022 Graduate Scholar, Yale School of Public Health
Earlier this year, Wyatt was elected to serve as the Communications Chair on the Executive Committee of the American Public Health Association’s LGBTQ Health Caucus.
Wyatt shared how honored he was to have been elected, “As someone who identifies as queer and originates from a state where LGBTQ+ individuals and identities face ongoing political challenges, I have always felt compelled to advocate for equity within my community. I have long served as an advocate working at the intersection of queer rights and public health; thus, when I saw that the LGBTQ Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association was holding elections for their Executive Board, I leapt at the opportunity.”
His academic and professional work focuses on addressing the unique health challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face, “This work inspired me to pursue a Master of Public Health at the Yale School of Public Health, where I will graduate this May. My journey to both Yale and APHA has always been driven by a deep passion for advancing queer health and wellness and a commitment to fostering inclusivity and equity within public health. As I embark on my two-year elected term with the LGBTQ Health Caucus, I am eager to collaborate with fellow committee members and stakeholders to advance LGBTQ+ health nationally. I am confident that through continued collaboration, we can drive meaningful change, dismantle barriers to care, and create a more inclusive healthcare landscape for queer people across the nation.”
You can connect with Wyatt on LinkedIn here.
Hayley Furman
2019 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Stetson University
Hayley recently started a new position as a Business Development Representative at Power Factors.
At Power Factors, Hayley will be working alongside a team of teach professional with a collective mission of accelerating clean energy transition. Power Factors offers a SaaS platform that enables the development and management of renewable energy assets at the commercial and utility scale - think solar, wind and hydroelectric.
Hayley shared more about her role, “In my role on the business development team, I will be aiding our sales team in getting our product into the hands of renewable energy professionals, ultimately driving individual and collective success in the clean energy space. I'm particularly looking forward to expanding my knowledge of renewable energy solutions and learning the intricacies of developing and scaling a sales pipeline, but most importantly, I'm thrilled to be dedicating my time to bettering the planet!”
You can connect with Hayley on LinkedIn here.
Christina Ware
2019 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Baylor University
Last month, Christina started a new job as a Staff Assistant for Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) on Capitol Hill, “Securing a position on the Hill is a feat, and I am proud of my perseverance and grateful for the support of my community.”
Christina shared her excitement for this new role, “Whether it is administrative work or delving into the legislative process, every day brings a new learning experience. I look forward to growing in my new role and maintaining meaningful professional relationships.”
You can connect with Christina on LinkedIn here.
The Latest Alumni Blog Features
Our March Catchin’ Up with a Cookie blog post features Cooke Alum Kevin Bernal-Rivera, a 2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar from UCLA who currently works as a mixed methods market researcher at Material+. You can read more about him here.
In 2008, Kevin Curry (2006 Cooke Graduate Scholar) had just graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School with big ideas about his future. When the stock market crashed, however, Kevin, like many others, was jobless and at a loss for what to do next. You can read more about him here.
Register for Cooke Connections: Northern California
The Foundation is headed to Northern California from April 4-5 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.
As part of our Cooke Connections: Northern California visit, we will host two major events: A Career Pathways Chat with Cooke Alums followed by a mix-and-mingle community-building event. Depending on their educational and career interests, Scholars may also choose to attend a lab tour or company tour - please see the registration site for details.
Register for Cooke Connections: Northern California 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.
Check out Compass.jkcf.org for a recording of Public Speaking Workshop Part 1, which was held on February 21 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.
Stay tuned for our final Public Speaking Workshop Part 3, which will be held at a later date and led by Cooke Alum Ousmane Kabré.
Alums - Share your work/research with the Cooke community
Do you have research you’re passionate about? Do you want to share your work with the Cooke community? We are looking for Alums who are interested in hosting virtual sessions about their work for fellow Cooke Scholars and Alums. We love showcasing our Alums’ work with the community, and we know Scholars enjoy learning more about different career fields and passion projects.
If you’re interested in hosting one of these sessions, 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!
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: Scholars Weekend 2022 Talent Show