November 2023
NYC Thrive Together Meet up for Mr. Cooke’s Birthday
Compass Feature: Amy McMillen
2009 Young Scholar, 2014 College Scholar, University of Virginia
Amy became a Cooke Young Scholar in 2009, and studied Engineering as a College Scholar at University of Virginia. In addition to being an author, Amy now works as a project manager at HUG. In the below Compass video, Amy shares about her decision to change careers, and how a permaculture education program in Costa Rica rekindled her passion for sustainability and motivated her to write a book.
To connect with Amy on LinkedIn, click here.
Compass Feature: Fred Huang
Watch the latest installment in our Cooke Alum interviews featuring Fred Huang, a 2014 College Scholar and a 2018 Graduate Scholar at Duke University. The current president of HCG Construction, a construction company based in South Carolina, Fred shares about his journey as an engineering and chemistry undergraduate student, and how he maximized his research and professional connections while in school.
You can connect with Fred on LinkedIn here.
Nell Cohen
2012 Graduate Scholar, New York University
Composer Nell Cohen recently had her vocal and choral music featured on three-time GRAMMY®-nominee Skylark Vocal Ensemble’s 75-minute live album "Sauntering Songs.”
Additionally, Nell's song "Woman Walking" was featured on GRAMMY-nominated soprano Laura Strickling’s album "40@40.” The new album hit #1 on Billboard for Traditional Classical Albums for the week of September 2, 2023.
Nell shared the following words on her recent work, "‘Sauntering Songs’ is the product of several years of close collaboration with the phenomenal Skylark Vocal Ensemble, featuring two major works—the title piece, which is an hour-long cantata on the theme of walking; and ‘Transform the World with Beauty,’ a choral cycle inspired by Victorian art. This album is an expression of so much that I’m passionate about, in music and in life. I’m incredibly honored to have participated in this stunning recording that Skylark and our collaborators have created, and now to be able to share our work with you.”
To see more of Nell’s work, visit her website.
Scott Pine
2013 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of California, Los Angeles
Earlier this year, Scott accepted a position at Google as a Technical Account Manager within the Public Sector for Google Cloud. Along with the job opportunity, Scott recently relocated to ATX.
Scott shared about his recent job transition and huge move, “I recently relocated from Los Angeles, CA to Austin, TX to accept a life-changing opportunity at Google. Building a life in a different city while starting a new job is both exciting and challenging. I look forward to exploring Austin's vibrant and eclectic culture, building community through volunteering, and growing my career in the tech industry. Most importantly, I look forward to connecting with local JKC scholars!”
You can connect with Scott on LinkedIn here.
Xin Wen
2010 Young Scholar, 2015 College Scholar, 2021 Graduate Scholar, Royal College of Art
JJ Agcaoili holding Cooke Alum Xin Wen on the phone.
Xin Wen, and creative partner JJ Agcaoili, won the 2023 CIRCA Public Vote Prize for their 3D artwork titled ‘EMERGE:NCY.’ Their art involved remapping filmed imagery taken from a built to-scale model of the iconic London landmark. Xin, who recently graduated from The Royal College of Art Global Innovation Design, and JJ received an additional £10,000 to support their joint artistic practice.
Xin shared, “JJ and I tried to channel a vision of hope that is universal and relatable in the film we produced with our unique production technique that can enable live 3D naked-eye imagery. As artist-designer-engineers, we feel a responsibility to create new media experiences, tools, and systems that deepen the ways people interact and connect with the world and each other. Our collaboration is just over a year old, but we’ve now exhibited in Singapore Art Week, the Ars Electronica Festival (Linz, Austria), and have been awarded as finalists in the 2023 Media Architecture Biennale, 2023 Global Design Graduate Show, and now as the winner of the 2023 CIRCA Public Vote Prize (showcased in London, Berlin, & Milan). Winning this one feels particularly special because it made us realize that people really connected with our work. It gives us confidence to continue creating new media that turn screens into spaces for awe-inspiring collective experiences.”
You can read the full press release here, and more about Xin’s work here.
The Latest from the CookeAlumni.org Blog
In our November Catchin’ Up with a Cookie blog, we learn more about Cooke Alum Sonia Bustos Barocio, a current Graduate Scholar at Stanford University. Sonia shares about her Cooke Scholar experience, and her current research focus on investigating mechanisms underlying tissue regeneration and cancer induction using the Mexican Axolotl as a model organism. Read the blog here.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 – October 15 every year. This blog post is part of a series highlighting Latino and Hispanic Cooke Scholars and how they stay connected to their heritage while pursuing their college degrees. Read the article here.
Apply 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. Find details on the Graduate Scholarship webpage and info sheet and find example responses to application questions on the Grad Scholar Portal. If you have more questions or would like support on your application, email gradscholars@jkcf.org.
Applications for the Graduate Scholarship are due January 10, 2024.
Plan an Event for Mr. Cooke’s Birthday
We’ve loved seeing the Mr. Cooke’s Birthday Celebrations held around the United States. Since Mr. Cooke’s birthday was on October 25, Scholars and Alums can continue celebrating throughout the month of November.
To organize a Thrive Together meetup in your area for Mr. Cooke’s birthday, follow the steps to request funding on the Thrive Together website here.
After the event, the organizer will need to submit a post-event form along with an expense report and receipts and the Foundation will reimburse the organizer. Reimbursement forms and all related receipts must be turned in within 30 days of the event, or the reimbursement cannot be processed. Participants are allowed to be reimbursed once per Big Four time period.
To learn more about the Thrive Together process and to check out the rewards available for attending Thrive Together events, click here.
Quinn & Belcher Applications Opening Soon
Our awards for current Cooke Scholars and Alums will be opening on Thursday, January 4th. To read more about the eligibility and application process for the Matthew J. Quinn Prize and the Undergraduate Scholar Award in Honor of Dennis I. Belcher, click here. Recipients will be chosen based on extraordinary achievement in an academic field, the arts, or public service. 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.
To learn more about previous recipients, check out our videos on 2023 Quinn Prize Recipient Ousmane Kabré and 2023 Belcher Prize Recipient Francesca Raoelison.
Mark your calendars for Thursday, January 4th when the applications open. Applications will be due Friday, March 1st. Please email alumni@jkcf.org if you have any questions.
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 2015