Cerritos College News Release May 2016
Prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Goes to Cerritos College Student
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 26, 2016
Media Contact: Media Contact: Aya Abelon, Public Affairs; (562) 653-7878
NORWALK, CA – May 26, 2016 – Alejandra Carranza, a Cerritos College honors student, was named one of the nation's
top scholars by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship
Program.
Alejandra of Huntington Park was among 75 students chosen from a competitive nationwide pool. The scholarship – one of the most competitive undergraduate transfer scholarships in the nation – will provide Alejandra with up to $40,000 per year to complete a bachelor's degree.
Alejandra discovered her interest in research last summer when she participated in the Bridges to Baccalaureate program at California State University, Long Beach, in which she investigated the effect of lead on the development of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) and presented her research results at several national undergraduate research conferences. She plans to continue her undergraduate research at UCLA in neuroscience, and further her study to complete an MD/Ph.D. program to combine her passion for research and desire to work with patients as a physician or surgeon in the future.
“I have seen first-hand the dire need in the Hispanic community for physicians who are culturally sensitive and dedicated to serving underinsured and marginalized communities with the same standard of care provided elsewhere,” said Alejandra. “I want to set a positive example for my two-year-old daughter, Audrey, to follow in the future as well as other women pursuing careers in STEM or medicine.”
The Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is the largest private scholarship in the nation for students transferring from two-year community colleges to four-year institutions that award bachelor’s degrees.
About Cerritos College: Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently averages 23,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.
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