March 2025
Denver Cooke Alums at a regional meetup in February 2025.
Compass Feature: Katie Robinson
2005 Young Scholar; 2010 College Scholar, Piedmont College; 2014 Graduate Scholar, New York University
Katie became a Cooke Young Scholar in 2005, and majored in Theatre Arts as a College Scholar at Piedmont College. As a Graduate Scholar, she earned her master's degree in Drama Therapy from NYU and then went on to the University of Georgia, where she earned her PhD in Counseling Psychology. Katie now works as a psychologist in Georgia, where she specializes in psychoeducational testing and creative arts therapy to help kids, teens, young adults, and families navigate the challenges of learning and growing up. In the below video, Katie shares how she was able to incorporate her love of art into her academic and career plans.
You can connect with Katie on LinkedIn here.
Compass Feature: Bryan Peacker
Bryan is a 2014 College Scholar and a 2021 Graduate Scholar. He is currently an MD Candidate at Harvard Medical School. Prior to medical school, Bryan was a research assistant for the Harvard Stem Cell Institute where he examined genome editing techniques for correcting disease-causing mutations in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In the below conversation, Bryan reflects on transformational moments throughout his academic journey, including how his involvement in the “My Life My Story” program shaped his perspective on patient care.
You can connect with Bryan on LinkedIn here.
Julius Onah
2006 Graduate Scholar, New York University
On February 14, Director Julius Onah celebrated the release of his latest film, Captain America: Brave New World. Julius completed an M.F.A. from the graduate film program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University where he was selected as a Dean's Fellow and received the Foundation’s Graduate Scholar.
Captain America: Brave New World is the 17th film Julius has directed, and the story follows Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, who finds himself in the middle of an international incident involving the new U.S. President and must discover the motive behind a global plot.
In his Vanity Fair interview, he shared, “I remember being in New York busing tables and going through all the difficulties, and the limbo at times of the [citizenship] process, and dreaming of making films…Never in my wildest imagination did I think it would lead to making a Captain America film.”
You can read all about Julius’ journey in Vanity Fair here.
Marcus Hughes
2014 College Scholar, Williams College
Marcus Hughes is the Science Operations Center Lead for PUNCH, which stands for the Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere. PUNCH is a NASA constellation of four small satellites that will help scientists better understand how the sun's corona becomes the solar wind. After years of research and work, Marcus and his team are gearing up for the launch of the PUNCH satellites in early 2025.
In this role, he has led a team of seven scientists to develop software to calibrate the images from the PUNCH satellites into one unified, synthetic observatory. To this effect, the team has developed novel techniques for image decompression, point-spread function regularization, coronal and starfield modeling, and more. We look forward to learning more about PUNCH’s scheduled launch!
You can read more about PUNCH here.
Michel Ruiz-Fuentes
2015 Young Scholar; 2020 College Scholar, Smith College
Last year, Michel graduated from Smith College and began a new position at Morgan Stanley (MS) as an Investment Risk Analyst.
Michel shared, “At MS, I am gaining a deeper understanding of the investment process, interpreting risk metrics and scenarios, and contributing to the development of new risk management frameworks. I enjoy being in the financial sector because I believe financial literacy is instrumental to social mobility, accessing capital, and building wealth. I am grateful to be in a dynamic learning environment that challenges me while empowering me to take ownership of my growth and development.”
You can connect with Michel on LinkedIn here.
Rebecca Holmes
2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar; 2021 Graduate Scholar, Colorado School of Mines
Rebecca recently moved to Seattle and will be starting a new role with Barghausen Engineering. At the engineering firm, Rebecca will be working to ensure compliance with environmental regulation for new Costco facilities.
In this role, Rebecca will be researching existing environmental laws and regulations regarding air, soil, and water and talking to regulatory agencies to ensure compliance for construction of new facilities. Additionally, tracking new policies federally and across individual U.S. states to maintain working knowledge on environmental regulation more broadly will be part of Rebecca’s responsibilities.
Rebecca shared, “In this new role, I am most looking forward to protecting the environment by ensuring all new facilities are in compliance with environmental standards. I am also looking forward to expanding my knowledge in general on regulatory standards. Prior to this job, I just left a position with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment regulating drinking water, so I had learned a lot about the Safe Drinking Water Act and the rules regarding drinking water. This new job is an opportunity to learn more about air and soil regulations and expand my knowledge to the state and federal level.”
We’ve Surpassed Our Goal for Alum-Sponsored Internships, Thank You!
Alums, we are so thankful for those of you who have already stepped up this fall and winter to share more than 135 internship opportunities for our Scholars as part of our Think Big About Internships campaign. You’ve helped us surpass our goal of 125, and more keep coming in!
If you’d still like to get involved, we invite you to join us now by sharing an opportunity through the button below.
Scholars, you can always access the most up-to-date internships list in your Canvas course, but you can also click the button below to check out the latest opportunities!
Internship Opportunity Spotlight and Blog: Samaanta Foundation
Apply to be a summer intern at the Samaanta Foundation, a Nepal-based not-for-profit organization that promotes equality and empowerment by providing quality higher education and skills development opportunities to meritorious public school graduates from poor socio-economic backgrounds who are at risk of dropping out.
Summer interns at Samaanta will enjoy a unique international internship opportunity curated specifically for Cooke Scholars. The Communications Intern will play a critical role in helping the Foundation maximize its impact by expanding the reach of its Fellowship program through improved communication materials and enhanced fundraising efforts.
Summer interns will get to travel to Nepal and gain international real-world, hands-on experience and professional mentorship. They will also be able to create a meaningful difference in the lives of some fantastic young Fellows while helping strengthen an impactful initiative.
The intern will work on a variety of tasks within the following focus areas:
Teaching and Mentorship - Provide academic support to Samaanta Fellows, particularly in English, Science, and Math courses. Mentor Fellows by offering guidance on study skills, career planning, and personal development.
Program Support - Assist the Program Officer in managing regular programs and activities, including Fellow selection and ensuring their academic and personal welfare.
Fundraising Support - Support strategy and partnership officer to identify partners, develop funding proposals, and pursue fundraising activities at the national and international level
The Intern will also have the opportunity to explore other responsibilities based on their interests and the needs of the organization. It can include supporting regular Samaanta programs and activities, including selection, academic and personal growth and welfare of the Fellows, and building relationships with partners and stakeholders.
If you’re interested in applying for the internship, you can apply below by 11 p.m. ET on March 9.
Our Internship Feature showcases Cooke Alum Shrochis Karki and the Samaanta Foundation where he serves as Executive Director. In this blog, Shrochis shares more information on what inspired him to found the Foundation, and what Scholars can expect out of an internship with the organization. Read more about Shrochis here.
The Latest Alumni Blog Features
Our Catchin’ Up with a Cookie blog features Cooke Alum Meelod Waheed, a 2022 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar from Pomona College. Read more about him here.
Apply for the 2025 Cooke Scholar and Alumni Awards or Nominate a Fellow Scholar
We are happy to announce that applications are now open for the two 2025 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 2022 through December 2024). 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 21, 2025. Apply here.
You can nominate a fellow Scholar or Alum here.
Scholars Weekend 2025 Interest Form Coming Soon…
Exciting news! The interest form to attend Scholars Weekend 2025 event as an Alum Mentor is opening soon. Keep an eye on your inbox next week for the official announcement and form link. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with Scholars, share your experiences, and make a lasting impact—don’t miss it!
Upcoming Events
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 15 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.