Recent Northeast State Community College graduate Leon Phillips has been named a recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship for 2024.
Northeast State President Dr. Jeff McCord broke the news of the scholarship award win at the College’s Honors Convocation ceremony on May 2.
“I am completely overwhelmed at being named as a recipient of the Cooke Scholarship; I am so grateful to the Cooke Foundation,” Phillips said. “This is an unforgettable moment in my life.”
Phillips is one of only 60 recipients nationwide selected to receive the transfer scholarship from a pool of nearly 1,700 applicants representing 380 community colleges. Phillips was the only undergraduate transfer scholarship recipient from the state of Tennessee.
Phillips graduated from Northeast State this spring as an Honors Program student and member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for community college students. He was also a member of the TRiO Students Support Services class of 2024. He earned the academic program awards in the academic subjects of Humanities and Mathematics for the year.
The Cooke Foundation announced the selection of 459 semifinalists for the scholarship in March. Phillips was one of only three students from Tennessee selected as a semifinalist. Scholarship applicants were selected based on academic achievement, unmet financial need, persistence, and leadership.
The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Foundation supports high-achieving community college students as they transfer to some of the best four-year institutions in the country to complete their bachelor’s degrees. One objective of the scholarship is to give Scholars the opportunity to graduate with as little debt as possible. The award, which is last-dollar funding after all other institutional aid, can provide as much as $55,000 a year.
Phillips served as student commencement speaker for the ceremony recognizing Humanities and Mathematics graduates at the College’s commencement ceremony on May 7. In his address to students, Phillips thanked the faculty at Northeast State for their dedication and urged unity and community to the audience.
“I can confidently say, and I am sure that many students will agree with me, we have some of the best professors in the entire state,” he said. “And we have the track record to prove it.”
In addition to the financial support, Cooke Transfer Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising – guidance that is crucial for navigating their transition to four-year colleges and planning their career paths. Cooke Scholars also benefit from access to internship opportunities, study abroad and graduate school funding, as well as a dynamic network of over 3,000 Cooke Scholars and Alumni.
The Undergraduate Transfer scholarship award can provide a recipient as much as $55,000 per year for two to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the United States. The scholarship aims to help community college students who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, leadership, and service transfer to top four-year institutions and avoid student debt.
Phillips joins fellow Northeast State alumni Merissa Williams (2011), Beth Ross (2013), Zach Andina (2022), and Bryan Kirk (2022) as previous student winners of the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. He has applied to several four-year institutions, including Ivy League universities.
“Everyone should seek to be challenged,” he said. “Challenges elucidate what your strengths and talents are so you can utilize those to your benefit.”
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Recent Northeast State Community College graduate Leon Phillips has been named a recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship for 2024.
Northeast State President Dr. Jeff McCord broke the news of the scholarship award win at the College’s Honors Convocation ceremony on May 2.
“I am completely overwhelmed at being named as a recipient of the Cooke Scholarship; I am so grateful to the Cooke Foundation,” Phillips said. “This is an unforgettable moment in my life.”
Phillips is one of only 60 recipients nationwide selected to receive the transfer scholarship from a pool of nearly 1,700 applicants representing 380 community colleges. Phillips was the only undergraduate transfer scholarship recipient from the state of Tennessee.
Phillips graduated from Northeast State this spring as an Honors Program student and member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for community college students. He was also a member of the TRiO Students Support Services class of 2024. He earned the academic program awards in the academic subjects of Humanities and Mathematics for the year.
The Cooke Foundation announced the selection of 459 semifinalists for the scholarship in March. Phillips was one of only three students from Tennessee selected as a semifinalist. Scholarship applicants were selected based on academic achievement, unmet financial need, persistence, and leadership.
The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Foundation supports high-achieving community college students as they transfer to some of the best four-year institutions in the country to complete their bachelor’s degrees. One objective of the scholarship is to give Scholars the opportunity to graduate with as little debt as possible. The award, which is last-dollar funding after all other institutional aid, can provide as much as $55,000 a year.
Phillips served as student commencement speaker for the ceremony recognizing Humanities and Mathematics graduates at the College’s commencement ceremony on May 7. In his address to students, Phillips thanked the faculty at Northeast State for their dedication and urged unity and community to the audience.
“I can confidently say, and I am sure that many students will agree with me, we have some of the best professors in the entire state,” he said. “And we have the track record to prove it.”
In addition to the financial support, Cooke Transfer Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising – guidance that is crucial for navigating their transition to four-year colleges and planning their career paths. Cooke Scholars also benefit from access to internship opportunities, study abroad and graduate school funding, as well as a dynamic network of over 3,000 Cooke Scholars and Alumni.
The Undergraduate Transfer scholarship award can provide a recipient as much as $55,000 per year for two to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the United States. The scholarship aims to help community college students who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, leadership, and service transfer to top four-year institutions and avoid student debt.
Phillips joins fellow Northeast State alumni Merissa Williams (2011), Beth Ross (2013), Zach Andina (2022), and Bryan Kirk (2022) as previous student winners of the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. He has applied to several four-year institutions, including Ivy League universities.
“Everyone should seek to be challenged,” he said. “Challenges elucidate what your strengths and talents are so you can utilize those to your benefit.”
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