Pima student in running for prestigious national scholarship

February 13, 2019

Tucson, AZ – Pima student Andres Mendoza-Mada is a semifinalist for a 2019 Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship.

This Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship supports high-achieving community college students as they transfer to some of the top four-year institutions in the country to complete a bachelor’s degrees. Scholarship recipients are selected based on exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service to others and leadership.

Mendoza-Mada is a 2017 graduate of Canyon Del Oro High School and intends to pursue a degree in special education

Mendoza-Mada was chosen from among nearly 1,500 applicants attending 369 community colleges in 45 states and the District of Columbia.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation will announce the scholarship recipients in early April.

“Even being a semifinalist for JKC is amazing and can be life changing,” said Ken Vorndran, Ph.D., Pima Honors and Writing Faculty, and Phi Theta Kappa and Honors Club Advisor. “In the past some of our semifinalists who didn’t even receive the scholarship have been recruited by universities like Columbia and Swarthmore.”

Four Pima students previously have been JKC scholars, which is more than many, if not most community colleges, Vorndran said.

“Countless highly-talented and motivated students begin their college experience at community college, and our recent Persistence report shows that they excel after they transfer,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, in its announcement.

Mendoza-Mada also is one of 11 semifinalist for an All-AZ Academic Team and an All-USA Scholarship. In the past three years, 17 Pima students have been recognized at the national level.

CONTACT:

Media, Government and Community Relations

(520) 206-4778

ehowell1@pima.edu