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Husna Ayoubi of San Diego Mesa College was named Thursday as one of 60 community college students who will receive the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.
This highly competitive award, from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, allows students to complete their undergraduate degrees at four-year institutions with minimal financial burdens.
The scholarship can reach as much as $55,000 each year by financing all or a portion of educational costs, including tuition, room and board, books and fees.
“I am so proud of Husna and Mesa College for such remarkable excellence,” stated Dr. Ashanti T. Hands, the college’s president. “This amazing opportunity will open numerous doors, paving the way for Husna to leave her brilliant imprint on the world, just as she was born to do.”
Ayoubi, a major in cognitive science, already has finished the Medical Assistant Program and recently completed a medical assistant externship at Palm Care Cardiology Urgent Care Center in El Cajon.
Ayoubi, a native of Afghanistan, speaks five languages. Among her notable achievements, Ayoubi has served as an interpreter at a Fort Bliss, Texas, refugee camp clinic and also has tutored English language learners in the Cajon Valley Union School District.
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As a Mesa College Associated Student Government student senator, Ayoubi implemented the campus’s first Teacher Appreciation and Recognition week celebrating and honoring faculty. Additionally this spring, Husna was named a Phi Theta Kappa All-California Academic Honor Roll student and a Team Bronze Scholar, an honor which comes with a $1,000 award.
According to the Community College Research Center, transfer pathways from community colleges are a significant contributor to enrollment and diversity at four-year institutions. However, a lack of scholarship opportunities, as well as other obstacles like losing credits during the transfer process, continue to keep bachelor’s degree completion rates low.
“Community college students remain far too underrepresented at our nation’s top institutions, despite clear research demonstrating their success once they arrive. Our scholarship is one way we aim to ensure that high-achieving students have the opportunity to complete their degree where they want, regardless of their financial background,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Cooke Foundation.
One objective of the award is to give scholars the opportunity to graduate with as little debt as possible. In addition to financial support, Cooke Transfer Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising. Cooke Scholars also benefit from access to internships, study abroad and graduate school funding, as well as a network of over 3,000 other scholars and alumni.
This year, nearly 1,700 students applied from over 380 community colleges. They were evaluated on their academic prowess, financial need and leadership qualities.
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