RBC Students Named Cooke Scholarship Semifinalists

For Immediate Release: March 6, 2024

Contact: Jesse Vaughan, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer/jvaughan@rbc.edu

Today, Richard Bland College of William & Mary (RBC) students Ana Conner and Melia Grady were named semifinalists for the highly competitive Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. This award empowers the nation’s top community college students to transfer to premier four-year institutions with drastically reduced student debt.

“Ana and Melia are truly deserving of this distinction,” said Dr. Ann Ifekwunigwe, RBC Director of University College. “They are outstanding ambassadors of Richard Bland College and we couldn’t be more proud of all they have accomplished.”

Out of a pool of more than 1,600 applicants from around the country, Conner and Grady were among the crop of semifinalists selected for the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Finalists will be announced in May.

“Our Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship represents a lifeline for exceptional community college students to actualize their academic dreams,” said Giuseppe Basili, Executive Director of the Cooke Foundation. “This year’s semifinalists exemplify the extraordinary talent found within community colleges across America and we’re excited to congratulate this group as we celebrate a quarter century of work as a Foundation.”

For two to three years, finalists will receive up to $55,000 annually to complete their bachelor’s degree. Additionally, they will have access to college planning support, ongoing advising and a thriving network of more than 3,400 Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

Click here to see the complete list of 2025 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship semifinalists.