Delgado Community College (Jefferson Campus): Delgado Student Among Undergraduate Transfer Scholars Honored By Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Press release from the Delgado Community College Jefferson Campus:

June 30, 2021

The Virginia-based Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has announced that 72 high-achieving
community college students nationwide are recipients of the prestigious Cooke Undergraduate
Transfer Scholarship. The highly competitive national transfer scholarship will provide
selected students with up to $40,000 a year to complete their bachelor’s degrees.

Shaina Kaye of Delgado Community College in New Orleans is one of the recipients.
She is the only Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholar selected in Louisiana this year.

“We know how much exponentially harder this past year has been on students. It’s an
honor to award this group of individuals as they have achieved so much both in the
classroom and in their daily lives,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We are proud to welcome this new class of Cooke Undergraduate
Transfer Scholars to our community and are excited to support them as they transition
to four-year institutions.”

“I'm honored to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship,” Kaye
said. “I believe deeply in the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s mission to increase low-income students’ access to top American universities.”

As a Delgado student, Kaye was named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s All-USA Academic Team in 2020. The All-USA program is widely recognized as the most prestigious academic honor for
students seeking an associate degree or credential. Only 20 students were selected
to the team with Kaye from more than 2,000 applications nationwide. She was the only
Louisiana student selected.

Among her many, varied interests and activities, Kaye is a poet who writes on the
intersections of Judaism, gender, sexuality and adverse childhood experiences. Her website provides details.

Today, nearly half of the students pursuing college choose to attend two-year institutions.
Research commissioned by the Foundation found that community college students who transfer to selective institutions have
equal to or higher graduation rates as students who enrolled directly from high school
or transferred from four-year institutions. Yet, at the nation’s top colleges, only
five percent have transferred from a community college. The Undergraduate Transfer
Scholarship seeks to increase the number of community college students completing
their education at top four-year institutions.

In addition to financial support, new Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars will receive
comprehensive educational advising to guide them through the process of transitioning
to a four-year college and preparing for their careers. Scholars will additionally
receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding,
as well as connection to a thriving network of Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

To date, over 1,000 students from all over the country have received the Cooke Undergraduate
Transfer Scholarship. Over 1,300 students from 370 community colleges applied for
the 2021 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The Foundation evaluated each submission
based on students’ academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence,
and leadership.

Delgado Community College celebrates 100 years of service to the New Orleans region in 2021. The oldest and
largest community college in Louisiana, Delgado provides instruction online and at
seven locations. Delgado offers students the most comprehensive array of education
and training services available in the New Orleans region. Additionally, Delgado has
articulation agreements with most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities
that allow students to transfer their Delgado credits to bachelor’s degree programs.
As well as offering degrees and transferable college credits, Delgado provides diplomas
and certificates in many professional and technical areas. Workforce development is
a priority at Delgado, hence the college’s well-known motto: “Education that works!”
www.dcc.edu

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have
financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded over $222 million in scholarships
to over 2,800 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive
educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided
$115 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

This press release was produced by the Delgado Community College Jefferson Campus. The views expressed here are the author’s own.