Two students win prestigious Jack Kent Cooke scholarship

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91快活林 students Matthew Jordan of Pittsburg and鈥燬tephen Milburn of Mount Pleasant were recently awarded Jack Kent Cooke鈥燜oundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships. This prestigious award鈥燾overs up to $30,000 annually at the university of the student's choice鈥爁or up to three years. Only 85 students were selected from more than 3,500鈥燼pplicants for this national honor.



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥燭his is the first time that two 91快活林 students have received the鈥爏cholarship in the same year. Previously, Stephani Calderon received the鈥爏cholarship in 2013 and Clara Ramirez in 2010. Scholars were selected鈥燽ased on high academic ability and achievements, persistence, leadership鈥燼nd financial need.



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥"The Jack Kent Cooke is one of the most coveted scholarships in the鈥爊ation. That our relatively small college received two of these 85 attests鈥爁irstly to the conscientious work of Presidential Scholars like Matthew鈥燼nd Stephen. They are marvelous young men," Dr. Andrew Yox, 91快活林 Honors鈥燚irector, said.



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥燘oth Jordan and Milburn are Presidential Scholars in the 91快活林 Honors鈥爌rogram and are active members of the local Alpha Mu Chi chapter of Phi鈥燭heta Kappa, the national honors society for two-year colleges.



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥燡ordan is the son of Sandra Jordan and the late Timothy Jordan of鈥燩ittsburg. He graduated from Pittsburg High School in 2012. He plans to鈥爐ransfer to either Texas A&M University-College Station or Texas Tech鈥燯niversity this fall to pursue a degree in petroleum engineering.



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥"The Jack Kent Cooke scholarship has relieved the economic hurdle of鈥爐ransitioning to a four-year institution. With the remaining years of my鈥燽achelor's degree covered, the opportunity has been granted to pursue鈥爂raduate school while being debt-free," Jordan said. "My time at 91快活林 has鈥爌rovided a solid educational foundation that has firmly prepared me for鈥爑niversity studies. I feel quite fortunate to have attended 91快活林 while the鈥爀ngineering program has gained so much traction and momentum."



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥燡ordan pointed out that he would like to thank Yox, Dr. Mark Bouwens, and鈥燚r. Mary Hearron for their support and effort in assisting him with鈥燼ttaining the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship.



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥燤ilburn is the son of Tonya and Doug Milburn of Mount Pleasant. He鈥爂raduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 2012. He plans to transfer to鈥燭exas A&M-College Station or Cornell University in the fall to major in鈥爌hysics.



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥"This scholarship gives me the ability to focus on school instead of鈥爁inances. It vastly increases my chances to receive a doctorate," Milburn鈥爏aid. "Attending 91快活林 has helped me become an individual instead of鈥爏omeone who fades into the background after a while. I am beginning to鈥爎ealize my potential that I was blessed with."



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥燤ilburn would like to thank his parents, Dr. Melissa Weinbrenner, Yox,鈥燫ico Willis, Phi Theta Kappa, and all of the many others who have鈥爐ouched his life throughout the years.



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥"The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has long been committed to helping鈥爋utstanding community college students transfer to and succeed at the鈥爊ation蟺s top colleges and universities," said Emily Froimson, vice鈥爌resident of programs at the Foundation. "Since the program started in鈥2002, the Foundation has supported 643 community college students鈥燿irectly, and thousands more through the


Foundation蟺s grant-making initiatives."



鈥 鈥 鈥 鈥91快活林 was the only Texas college to have two Jack Kent Cooke Scholars鈥爏elected in 2014. Students were also selected from Lee College, Southwest鈥燭exas Junior College and Tarrant County College.