May 24, 2022

Career Pathways Exchange Virtual Chat: Social Justice Work

Cooke Scholar Alum Luis Veloz moderated a conversation with fellow Alums Christopher LeFlore, Gabby Nicholas, Kevin Davenport, and Ricardo Ortega. They discussed their engagement in activism and advocacy for positive change in their communities. We discussed our panelists' learned experiences, sharing tips on how to lead a career centered in social justice advocacy, and the importance of making time for self-care and restoration. You can watch the conversation here.

April 26, 2022

Career Pathways Exchange Virtual Chat: Pursuing Your Interests Beyond the 9-to-5

Cooke Scholar Alum Stephani Calderón moderated a conversation with fellow Alums Amy McMillen, Derrick Arthur-Cudjoe, Kamal Abuarquob, and Twila Fisher to discuss how they pursue their interests beyond their full-time job. We discussed strategies and approaches to make outside-of-work-time fulfilling and meaningful through building a startup project or business, volunteer work with your community, expressing yourself artistically, or picking up a new skill or hobby. You can watch the conversation here.

March 22, 2022

Career Pathways Exchange Virtual Chat: Graduate School - Expectations vs Reality

Hannah Franz, Program Associate of Graduate Advisement, moderated a conversation with Alums Patricia Medina, Young Seol, Katie Taylor, and Brian Zamorato to discuss the graduate school experience. We had a conversation about the realities of being a graduate student - particularly in PhD, Medical, and Law programs. More specifically, we discussed the ups and downs, maximizing the graduate school experience, lessons learned, and practical tips related to helping scholars explore and decide on graduate programs. You can watch the conversation here.

February 22, 2022

Career Pathways Virtual Chat: How I Transformed My Passion into a Business

Cooke Scholar Alum Alessandro Bailetti hosted a conversation with fellow Alums Auriel Wright, Emily Hunsberger, Lisandra Rickards, and Ty Perez on how they transformed their passion into a business. The panelists shared their professional and personal perspectives as business owners and entrepreneurs with a focus on taking us back to the moments of getting started. We discussed the significance in effectively telling the story of your business, importance of building a supportive and resourceful network, overcoming obstacles and hurdles, building a holistic set of business skills, and tips for success on the early stages of starting a business. You can watch the conversation here.

January 29, 2022

Cooke Entrepreneur Network - Starting Point

The Cooke Entrepreneurs Network seeks to unite experienced and aspiring Cooke Scholar entrepreneurs to provide resources and support towards realizing their vision. Through mentorship, networking, and professional development, the Cooke Entrepreneurs Network event focused on cultivating relationships within the Cooke community with the specific goal of helping entrepreneurial Scholars take the next steps in executing their venture. The Starting Point was a virtual experience that includes a half-day of small-group, interactive mentor workshops with Cooke Alumni Entrepreneurs and some asynchronous pre-work. Whether scholars are far along in the process or still refining their idea, making progress on your venture was a central goal of this event by thought partnering with mentors and fellow scholars. Click here to access conversations and resources from the event.

January 18, 2022

Career Pathways Exchange Virtual Chat: Preparing for a Career in Tech

Cooke Scholar Alum Stephani Calderón hosted a conversation on Preparing for a Career in Tech with Sondos Alnamos, Gregory Clark, and Manny Ruiz-Ramos to share their professional and personal perspectives on working in the tech field. We discussed how they prepared while in undergrad to be competitive applicants for these jobs post-graduation, lessons learned on the jobs, what they wish they knew before working in tech, roles in tech outside of software engineering, graduate school, and the future of tech in our society. You can watch the conversation here.

December 14, 2021

Career Pathways Exchange Virtual Chat: Social Impact - Exploring Careers in Policy and Advocacy

Cooke Scholar Alum Alessandro Bailetti hosted a conversation with fellow Alums Bo Ra Kim, David Guirgis, and Max Matite on creating Social Impact and Exploring Careers in Policy and Advocacy. Cooke Scholars and Alums are passionate about making positive impacts on our political systems and governmental institutions. A career in policy and advocacy can put one right in the center of these conversations and decision-making capacities to influence policy that shape and govern our everyday lives. We discussed Alums’ experiences working in these spaces creating and managing policy and advocating for policy change. Also, we explored how to prepare for a career in this field while in undergrad, through internship experiences, and graduate school education. You can watch the conversation here.

November 16, 2021

Alumni Virtual Chat: Financial Fitness - Practical Advice to Manage Your Money

Open conversations around money are extremely important, and financial matters can get particularly confusing and challenging when we get our first full-time job after college. Cooke Scholar Alum Jennifer Lyu hosted a conversation with fellow alums Aida Rodriguez, Anastassia Goidina, Dzung Nguyen, and Nandjui Richard Koutouan to share practical advice and tips for managing your money. We covered topics including budgeting as a new full-time working professional, thoughts on financial traps and liabilities to avoid as a young adult, and balancing priorities when it relates to money such as familial obligations, self-care, and pursuing a professional passion. You can watch the conversation here.

October 26, 2021

Career Pathways Exchange Virtual Chat: Write Your Way into a Career in Journalism & Media

Have you thought about exploring your love for writing and transforming that passion into a career? Alumni Engagement Manager and Cooke Scholar Alum Larry Thi hosted a panel discussion with fellow Alums Danna Lorch, Jerry Mathes, Monique Madan, and Shani Am. Moore. In this lively and informative conversation, you'll learn about the journalism and media industries’ landscapes and how one can become a successful journalist, freelance writer, author, or screenwriter. You can watch the conversation here.

2020 - 2021 Events

May 26, 2021

Career Pathways Exchange: Mental Health & Wellness

Cooke Scholar Alum Jacobi Alvarez moderated a discussion with fellow alums Dr. Dustin Nowaskie, Katie Robinson, and Sofia Medina-Pardo on Mental Health and Wellness. As part of our series to explore different career pathways, we discussed different ways to get into this important work, and how Cooke Scholar Alums are expanding access to and supporting mental health and well-being services in their communities. You can watch the conversation here.

April 29, 2021

Career Pathways Exchange: Consulting 101

Cooke Scholar Alum Stephani Calderon moderated a conversation with Adhitya Jayasinghe, Amy Dam, and Fatoumata Diarra for an informative panel discussion about the exciting and challenging field of consulting. They talked about the interesting and varied types of work they do, how they knew it was the right career fit for them, and how you can best position yourself to get a job as a consultant. You can watch the conversation here.

April 14, 2021

Alumni Trivia Night!

On what date was Jack Kent Cooke born? That might have been one of the questions alums answered when we gathered with fellow alums from around the world for Trivia Night! It was great to casually get together with other "Cookie Cousins" for relaxation and a good time - congrats to the “JKCF Dragons” for winning first place! Please look out for more social events in the future!

March 31, 2021

Career Pathways Exchange: Financial Literacy – Getting Your Money Right

Cooke Scholar Alum Alessandro Bailetti moderated a chat with fellow alums Jennifer Lyu, Manuel Ruiz, and Menachem Sahler to discuss the essentials of financial literacy, managing money, and building wealth. This conversation is helpful to those who have years under their belt working full-time, the recent college graduate who is now making money and looking for the best ways to invest and save, and even those still in school who want to learn from those who went before them. You can watch the conversation here.

March 24, 2021

Alumni Virtual Chat: Internships - The Starting Point of a Career

Cooke Scholar Alum Luis Veloz moderated a conversation with fellow scholars Adhitya Jayasinghe, Karen Herrera, and Shari Evangelista on the topic of internships. These professional experiences have a significant impact on our career trajectory and opens doors to various career pathways; therefore, it's important to have a strong game plan for them. The panelists shared their own internship experiences, tips and strategies that made their experiences successful, and how their internships informed their professional decision making. This discussion is particularly helpful to scholars who are seeking for and working at an internship. You can watch the conversation here.

February 17, 2021

Career Pathways Exchange: How Falling in Love Can Help Your Career

The Alumni Engagement Council hosted a virtual event with a panel of alumni to discuss everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) topic: Love! In the spirit of Valentine's Day, alums shared how their relationship with their romantic partner has supported their professional and career growth. Cooke Scholar Alum Alessandro Bailetti moderates this fun panel discussion with fellow alums Adam Eide, Christa Finley, Everett Perry-Johnson, and Kristina Weaver to discuss the intersection of romantic relationships and professional journeys, and how romantic partners can challenge us to do better, provide different perspectives, and comfort us during tough times. You can watch the conversation here.

January 27, 2021

Career Pathways Exchange: The Art of Getting the Dream Job - Resumes, Interviews, and Networking

Cooke Scholar Alum Jacobi Alvarez moderated a conversation with fellow alums Aman Waheed, Derrick Arthur-Cudjoe, and Danna Culhane to discuss the art of getting your dream job. The panel discussed effective strategies and approaches to put together a compelling resume, present your best self at interviews, and make networking opportunities both meaningful and fun. The conversation offered powerful advice as we further pursue our academic and professional aspirations especially as we continue to battle a pandemic and rebuild our global economy. You can watch the conversation here.

December 16, 2020

Alumni Virtual Chat: Reflecting Back on 2020 and Looking Ahead to the New Year

We held a virtual event featuring an inspiring panel conversation with Cooke Scholar Alums Sherlyn Galarza, Ousmane Kabre, Angad Singh Padda, and Santiago Tobar Potes, which was moderated by fellow alum Stephani Calderon. The discussion instilled a fresh sense of resilience and hope as we looked back on what has been a challenging year for so many, recognized what silver linings there have been, and how these experiences and reflections may help us best prepare to move forward individually and as a community for 2021. You can watch the conversation here.

November 19, 2020

Career Pathways Exchange: Social Justice Work and the Law

This event featured a conversation and live Q&A with Cooke Scholar Alums Dee Baskin and Angel Sanchez, which was moderated by fellow alum Alessandro Bailetti. They shared their personal and professional journeys, and discussed how they are using their law school backgrounds to further their social justice work. Dee is currently Executive Director of Loan Repayment Assistance Program of Minnesota (LRAP MN), where they collaborate with partners to recruit and retain talented public interest attorneys serving low-income Minnesotans. Angel has been working tirelessly with his colleagues at the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to restore voting rights for those with felony convictions. You can watch the conversation here.

November 10, 2020

Career Pathways Exchange: Salesforce Digital Strategy Team

Recently, Cooke Scholar Alum Luis Veloz moderated a panel discussion with members of the Digital Strategy team at Salesforce. One of the members of the team is Christine Quinn, the daughter-in-law of the founding executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Dr. Matthew Quinn. The conversation centered on the team's interesting work, the different types of resources Salesforce offers for skills training, and helpful career advice that they've gained from their own journeys. The group also spent a lot of time talking about navigating the tech industry as a non-computer science major! You can watch the conversation here.

October 26, 2020

Career Pathways Exchange: Dance & Entrepreneurship

We held our first Alumni Career Pathways virtual event. It featured an update on alumni news from Larry Thi, an introduction to the Alumni Engagement Council from Alessandro Bailetti, and a conversation and Q&A with Cooke Scholar Alumni Ezekiel Adigun and Jessica Harris, moderated by fellow alum Jacobi Alvarez. The discussion centered on how they've found ways to successfully weave their love of dance into their career journeys, and how they've adapted their work during the global pandemic. You can watch the conversation here.

August 6 - 7, 2020

Scholars Weekend 2020

We gathered our Cooke Scholar community together for a very special, memorable, and virtual Scholars Weekend! While the event went virtual this year, it promised to be no less engaging. We had familiar experiences like the Talent Show and Cooke Conundrum, a virtual awards ceremony, and a special keynote presentation from Cooke Scholar Alum, and host of grantee From the Top, Peter Dugan. This year’s sessions also highlighted scholar identities, exploring intersectionality and creating a stronger community through shared stories. If you missed any of these activities, look out for an email with links for recordings from the event. Please contact alumni@jkcf.org for questions or more information.

June 12, 2020

Scholar Voices Forum

This discussion was an opportunity to talk with and listen to our scholars and alumni on the topics of systemic racism and police violence, and what the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation could do moving forward to emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community and work. A video link to the event was sent to all higher education scholars and alumni on June 17th, 2020. Please contact alumni@jkcf.org if you would like access to the video link.