Alicia Cantrell and Brenda Godoy, students at Northeast Texas Community College, are two of just 47 recipients of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation?s prestigious Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. This highly competitive national scholarship will provide these two local recipients with up to $40,000 annually for a maximum of three years to complete their bachelor?s degrees.
Nearly 2,500 students applied for the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship this year. The foundation evaluated each submission based on academic ability, persistence, leadership, and service to others
Cantrell graduated from Mount Vernon High School and is considering transferring to Cornell University. A future lawyer and politician as well as Presidential Honors Scholar, Alicia serves as president of NTCC?s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, the NTCC Speech and Debate Club, and the Honors Student Council. A member of the Sigma Kappa Delta (English Honor Society) and Psi Beta (Psychology Honor Society), she has been active on campus and volunteers in the community. Her research†on women in politics†has been published and she has presented workshops at the Texas State Historical Association as well as the Phi Theta Kappa International Convention. Named a 2017 Leader of Promise, she has also won the Walter B. Cooper Scholarship, the Dr. Jerry Wesson Prize for leadership, and was named a Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar.
?Jack Kent Cooke is a life changing opportunity. I?m still in shock to have been selected. I cannot wait to pursue my lifetime dreams all because of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. None of this would?ve been possible without the faculty at NTCC that only want to help their students in excelling and pursuing their wildest dreams. Thank you to Dr. Andrew Yox for encouraging me to always strive for academic excellence and thank you Dr. Melissa Fulgham for never allowing me to give up and settle for less than what I deserve,? Cantrell said.
Brenda Godoy graduated from Mount Pleasant High School and plans to attend Texas A&M University. A future pediatrician and Presidential Honors Scholar, Brenda serves as president of the Bio-Chem Pre-Professional Club on campus and was an active participant in NTCC?s projects to become a Tree USA Campus. She is Vice-President of Service for the Phi Theta Kappa chapter and a Supplemental Instructor for Chemistry and Biology, as well as a lab assistant. She won the Eckman Award for outstanding academic work in an honors seminar and a Boe Award for her research on Texas Revolutionary Leaders. She has been named an All USA Community College Academic Team member, a New Century Transfer Scholar and a Hites Scholar.
?It still feels unreal. I?m very grateful for the professors and other faculty members for taking the time to know me and for giving me opportunities to advance academically and in leadership. Because of this scholarship I will be able to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor to help others, and to give back to my family, community, and many others who have invested their time and efforts into my future,? Godoy said.
In addition to the monetary award, these new Cooke Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising from foundation staff to guide them through the processes of transitioning to a four-year school and preparing for their careers. The foundation will additionally provide opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network of 2,300 fellow Cooke Scholars and alumni.
?We thank God for the unity, the momentum and the support that we have received from the NTCC community,? Yox, Honors Director, said. ?There are many steps along the way that we are getting right because of this help, and this accounts for why our rural college has had nine Jack Kent Cooke winners in the last eight years, more such scholarships than many individual states in the union.?
Yox offered special thanks to Cantrell and Godoy, who not only studied and worked continuously, but carved-out the time to engage in the opportunities provided through the NTCC network. He also acknowledged Fulgham, lead Phi Theta Kappa advisor at NTCC, for her steadfast guidance and work on behalf of student success and the Friends off Honors, NTCC administrators, and professors who have all gone above and beyond together to make awards like this possible for NTCC students.
For more information on the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation?s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship program, visit www.jkcf.org. To learn more about Honors Northeast and the many opportunities available to students at NTCC, visit www.ntcc.edu/honors or contact Yox at ayox@ntcc.edu.
