By Tala Alahmar, a 2021 PTK International President and Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
Growing up in Syria, I imagined a straightforward future for myself: graduating high school, attending Damascus University like my parents, and spending the rest of my life close to home. However, the onset of the Syrian civil war shattered this dream. My country descended into chaos; electricity and clean water became scarce, and the violence reached my school’s doorstep.
Ultimately, my family chose to seek a safer life in the United States. Upon arriving in Michigan, my future was fraught with uncertainty. Clearly, Damascus University was no longer an option. In fact, without SAT scores, the path to any university now seemed elusive. My uncle suggested that I start at a community college. I was unfamiliar with the concept, but I followed his advice and enrolled at Oakland Community College.
The initial semester was disheartening and isolating, to the point I asked my parents if we could return to Syria. My father persuaded me to stick it out for one more semester—a decision that profoundly changed my life. This time, I immersed myself in the campus community. I forged lasting friendships, found invaluable support from faculty and advisors, and joined Phi Theta Kappa. Over the next few years, I earned my associate’s degree, served as international president of PTK, and transferred to the University of Michigan.
Today, I am a graduate student at Georgetown University, where I am pursuing my goal of becoming involved in diplomacy and foreign relations. The Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship was pivotal in this journey, providing me with not only crucial financial assistance but also academic advising, college planning support, and the chance to connect with an amazing and diverse community of Cooke Scholars.
Since 2000, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has awarded $304 million in scholarships to more than 3,400 students across the country. The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is designed to support community college students as they transition to a four-year institution and through their final years of earning a bachelor’s degree.
Looking back, I’m not sure I would be where I am today without this scholarship’s support. But I almost didn’t even bother applying. The program’s reputation seemed too prestigious and too daunting. It’s highly selective—who was I to think I could earn such an incredible opportunity? Fortunately, my early experiences in college taught me the importance of overcoming those kinds of doubts. So, I decided to go for it.
Since assuming leadership roles on campuses, I’ve come to realize that many students share the apprehensions I once had. A surprising number of scholarships are never awarded simply because too few students apply after mistakenly believing they don’t qualify. Worse yet, the vast majority of community college students never transfer to a four-year institution at all. Despite 80 percent of community college students hoping to earn a bachelor’s degree, just one-third transfer to a four-year university.
It’s crucial to remember that the odds are not as stacked against us as we sometimes think, however. Research shows that community college transfer students are just as capable as any other kind of student. In fact, learners who transfer to selective institutions from community colleges are actually more likely to persist and graduate within six years than those who enroll right out of high school or transfer from other four-year institutions.
While it’s true that we often encounter more obstacles on our path to a bachelor’s degree, it’s also true that we are capable of achieving remarkable success despite those challenges. Programs like the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship equip community college students with vital support, helping to transform our aspirations into reality. But it’s up to us to seize such opportunities. And that begins with believing in ourselves enough to apply.
Take it from me: you owe it to yourself to boldly pursue opportunities like the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
For more information on the scholarship, watch a recording of a webinar hosted by Jack Kent Cooke and PTK here. Apply to the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship here.
