April 2025
Bay Area Cooke Scholars and Alums at a park cleanup in March 2025.
Compass Feature: Diego Degenhart
Diego became an Undergraduate Transfer Scholar in 2019 and a Graduate Scholar this year. He currently works as a Planning and Capacity Building Analyst at The Cadmus Group. In the below interview, Diego shares his journey through the urban planning and transit advocacy space, and his passion for building more accessible, equitable, and livable cities.
You can connect with Diego on LinkedIn here.
Young Scholar Alum Conversation with Matthew Keys and Alondra Moreno
2013 Young Scholar; 2018 College Scholar, University of Pennsylvania; 2025 Graduate Scholar
Alondra became a Scholar in 2013 when she joined the Young Scholar Program and just was announced as a 2025 Graduate Scholar. In the below video interview with Matthew Keys, her former Educational Adviser, Alondra talks about her experience advocating for fellow FGLI students at her boarding school, and how that experience and the pushback she received affected her and shaped her career goals.
You can watch the full interview here, and you can connect with Alondra on LinkedIn here.
Katelyn Armbruster
2013 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar; 2018 Graduate Scholar, Arizona State University
Katelyn just successfully defended her dissertation - Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation. Her research explored the impact of a Community of Practice (CoP) intervention on supervisors of working learners at EdPlus (ASU), revealing significant improvements in role identity, self-efficacy, support, and empowerment. The findings highlight the transformative potential of CoPs in fostering collaboration, building social capital, and enhancing mentorship for student employees.
Katelyn shared, “I never would have believed I could reach a doctoral degree before being becoming a Cooke scholar. This accomplishment comes from a long journey which was driven in large part by the support of this incredible foundation, and I hold so much gratitude for having the honor of being a part of it. The foundation of this dissertation research was rooted in my own first-gen student journey and the hurdles faced while transitioning from college to career. Particularly, the impact that working while earning your degree has on students, and the critical roles our institutional supervisors and mentors play in our career development. I am grateful for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s support throughout this journey and excited to apply these insights to future endeavors! “
You can connect with Katelyn on LinkedIn here.
Lusia Zaitseva
2001 Young Scholar; 2006 College Scholar, Columbia University
A tech manager with a PhD in the humanities, Lusia recently transitioned into a new role at Elsevier, a scientific publisher and data analytics company.
Lusia shared, “In January I transitioned from my role as Technical Services Manager at Interfolio by Elsevier to Head of Technical Product Management for the Americas within Elsevier. In my new role, I lead a team of fellow TPMs as we oversee large-scale data migrations, design and manage internal data pipelines, and partner with our clients—institutions of higher learning—to build and maintain integrations to third-party systems. It’s a complex, highly engaging, collaborative role that I’m excited to be taking on.”
You can connect with Lusia on LinkedIn here.
Zachary Zumbo
2014 College Scholar; 2018 Graduate Scholar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Zachary just started a new position as Test Infrastructure Software Engineer at Loft Orbital, a space infrastructure company.
In the test infrastructure department, Zachary will specifically work with the team that helps their customers interface with the Satellite's hardware and software prior to launch. Zachary further explained, “We enable this by providing a physical test device (called the HubKit) with the same connectors as the real satellite Hub. The HubKit acts like the real hardware & software so that their team doesn't have to have physical or virtual connection to the actual satellite.”
On the new role, Zachary said, “I'm so excited to have the opportunity to meet our other team members in Toulouse, FR, work closely with our customers and be exposed to the Aerospace industry firsthand!”
You can connect with Zach on LinkedIn here.
Brittany Galego Fischer
2015 College Scholar; 2020 Graduate Scholar, Smith College School for Social Work
In January, Brittany joined the Radical Healing Collective in Durham, North Carolina as a Mental Health Clinician where they primarily work with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC adolescents and adults.
To this new role, Brittany brings her professional background as a multilingual (English, Spanish, & Portuguese) Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) with clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults, including 2SLGBTQIA+, Latinx, immigrant, and foster/adopted parenting communities.
Meeting a client where they are at, Brittany’s aim is to provide a safe and confidential environment in which they can collaboratively explore factors that may be impeding their ability to live an engaged and meaningful life on your terms, as well as ways to overcome them.
They shared, “Recognizing that healing does not occur in a vacuum, I am excited to approach my clinical work in a radically inclusive space that encourages an inclusive liberation-focused lens. I find it deeply meaningful to engage in clinical work that acknowledges systems of oppression, validates their impact on clients and the collective, and champions the kaleidoscope of identities with respect to gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion and spirituality, neurodivergence, body expression and body size, and dis/ability. Navigating the intersection of our identities through open dialogue with clients in the clinical encounter and beyond, with careful consideration of privileged and historically marginalized identities, is of the highest importance to me.”
You can connect with Brittany on LinkedIn here.
Scholars - You still have time apply for our Alum-sponsored internships!
As part of our Think Big About Internships campaign, Cooke Alums are sharing internship opportunities available to Cooke Scholars. Opportunities are briefly described in the table linked below, and you can click on the spreadsheet link to see full details.
Five new summer internships were added to the list of Alum-sponsored opportunities this week! Ranging from California to Boston to Washington, DC to London, they are worth checking out! Many of the opportunities have application deadlines next week.
New opportunities will be listed as they come in, so be sure to check back every week! If you have any questions about the opportunities, please email internships@jkcf.org.
Working together, Cooke Scholars and Alums can create significant impact across industries, and even the world!
A huge thank you to all the Alums who have made this campaign a success!
Alums - do you have an internship to share? Or would you like to connect with our team to host a Cooke Scholar at your workplace next year? Visit the internships website below.
The Latest Alumni Blog Features
Cooke Internship Snapshot: Safety and Engineering with Cooke Scholar Oscar Tumushabe Madong
In this blog, 2023 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar Oscar Tumushabe Madong shares his experience working within the field of Safety and Engineering as an Intern at the Iowa Utilities Board, and an incoming Junior Engineer at PG&E. Oscar describes what a typical day looks like for a Safety and Engineering Intern, and the most important skills needed for the field. Read more here.
Attend Cooke Connections: Philadelphia
Don't miss out on your chance to attend Cooke Connections: Philadelphia - the deadline to RSVP is this Friday, April 4.
This special regional event is a unique opportunity to connect with other Scholars, Alums, and Foundation staff.
In addition to the evening networking and community-building event from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. ET at Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, we are also excited to share two company tour opportunities offered by Cooke Alums on Friday, April 11. See the options at the registration site below and sign up by Friday, April 4 to secure your spot!
If you have any questions about Cooke Connections: Philadelphia, please respond to this email or send a message to alumni@jkcf.org.
Upcoming Events
It's Okay Not to Know: Finding Your Path, One Step at a Time
Join us on Thursday, April 24 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET for “It's Okay Not to Know: Finding Your Path, One Step at a Time.”
Not everyone has their future mapped out from day one—and that’s okay! In this session, hear from Cooke Alums who have navigated unexpected changes in their academic and career journeys. Whether they switched majors, pursued careers outside their field of study, or made bold career pivots, their stories will highlight the value of adaptability, curiosity, and self-discovery.
This conversation will normalize uncertainty and provide insights on how to embrace change with confidence. No matter where you are in your journey, this session will remind you that exploring different paths is not just normal—it can lead to exciting and fulfilling opportunities.
We look forward to having you attend the event!
Introduction to Public Speaking
Are you looking to boost your confidence and improve your public speaking skills? Join us at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 8 for "Introduction to Public Speaking," a one-hour virtual session designed to help you become a more effective and engaging speaker.
Whether you're preparing for a presentation, a job interview, or simply want to improve your everyday communication skills, this session is perfect for you. Cooke Alum Bérénice Sylverain draws from her years of experience as a public speaker and shares tips and tricks to transform your public speaking abilities and gain the confidence to speak with ease.
Share Your Big News!
Have you landed an amazing new job, published groundbreaking research, or welcomed a new addition to your family this year? We want to celebrate your incredible personal, professional, and academic achievements! Share your exciting updates with us by submitting your news below or emailing our Alumni Engagement Manager Gabby Nicholas.
Houston Cooke Scholars and Alums at a Thrive Together meetup in March 2025.