CORP Volunteers Discovering the Next Generation of Cooke Scholars

Author: Laura Karwoski (Program Coordinator, Scholar and Alumni Experience)

It has been said that “we rise by lifting others” (Robert Ingersoll). The Cooke Outreach Representative Program (CORP) embodies that ideal by inviting Cooke Scholars and Alumni to share Cooke scholarship opportunities with middle school, high school, and community college students. Last year, CORP volunteers reached over 1,100 students across the country through over 29 different CORP presentations conducted by at least 29 unique Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

When Cooke Scholar Alum Reynier Montalvan first heard of CORP, he knew right away that he wanted to get involved. Reynier says that the Cooke scholarship is well known on campus at Miami Dade College, his former community college. After he was awarded the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, he began to notice that many students at other schools had no idea that the opportunity existed. Reynier started contacting advisors at community colleges and public high schools around Miami and setting up appointments to talk with students about his experience as an Undergraduate Transfer Scholar and how to apply for the scholarship. Now, he has presented to many student groups and some of the students he has talked to have even applied for and been accepted as new Cooke Scholars. Whenever he finds out one of them has been accepted, he says, “I’m so happy, I feel like I’ve gotten the scholarship again!”

Grace Ahn, current College Scholar and CORP volunteer, started by planning just one meeting for students at her former high school. She says, “it’s doable and really beneficial” to share the scholarship opportunities with students as early as possible, so that some may even be able to apply to the Young Scholars Program. Her presentation focused on supporting students from low-income backgrounds and was recorded on Zoom so it could be distributed more widely. This upcoming school year, she plans to contact two local high schools to schedule meetings for CORP.

Both Reynier and Grace feel that volunteering for CORP is the best way they can think of to give back to the Cooke Foundation. Reynier says, “every time I go back to my community college to present for CORP, I feel so happy to share this amazing opportunity with the students, because it literally changed my life; maybe it can change their lives, too.”

We want to thank Reynier and Grace, as well as all of our other CORP volunteers, for their important work in outreach. If you think you would like to join our CORP volunteers in spreading the word about the Foundation’s scholarship programs, please click here to learn more.