Six PBSC students selected as semifinalists for prestigious national transfer scholarship

Six Palm Beach State College students have been selected as semifinalists for the highly competitive Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

The students are PBSC student trustee Michael Derilus, Lusmat Charles, Vianca Cordon Lopez, Christian Prieto Romero, Areshika Stephens and Zachary Swietnicki. Derilus, Charles, Cordon Lopez, Prieto Romero and Stephens are Dr. Floyd F. Koch Honors College students. This is Charles second time being selected as a semifinalist. 

They are among 485 semifinalists chosen from over 1,300 applications from students who attend 224 community colleges in 37 states. The rigorous selection process assesses candidates on their exceptional academic ability and achievement, demonstrated financial need, perseverance, and leadership.

Finalists for the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship will be announced in early May.

This highly competitive scholarship includes:

• The opportunity to graduate with as little debt as possible. The award, which is last dollar funding after all institutional aid, can provide 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 U.S.
• Ability to pursue any area of study
• Personal advising about selecting a college and navigating financial aid
• Multifaceted advising about how to transition to a four-year college and maximize the student experience
• Opportunity to apply for the Internship Stipend program, conference and travel stipend, and graduate scholarship

“Through the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation works to ensure that exceptional community college students have the opportunities to reach their full academic potential,” said Executive Director Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili. “This year’s semifinalists reflect the remarkable talent and ambition found in community colleges nationwide.”