Eighteen Lone Star College System students and one alumnus are semifinalists for the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a prestigious distinction designed to help high-achieving community college students complete their bachelor’s degrees debt-free. This year, LSCS produced more semifinalists than any other Texas institution and tied with Miami Dade College for the most semifinalists nationwide.
“Lone Star College System is pleased to once again be a top producer of Jack Kent Cooke semifinalists nationwide with all eight of our campuses represented on the list,” said Katharine Caruso, Ph.D., LSCS associate vice chancellor, Honors and International Education. “We look forward to seeing these outstanding students continue their education and pursue careers in their chosen fields.”
Semifinalists include:
• Esteban Aguirre Chavez, LSC-Montgomery
• Shah Aneequddin, LSC-University Park
• Ayesha Asghar, LSC-Montgomery
• Frank Atienza Coronado, LSC-Tomball
• Cheyanna Camacho, LSC-Montgomery
• Kimberly Duran, LSC-Houston North
• Clarissa Garrison, LSC-Tomball
• Ursulle Sonia Mbiakop, LSC-North Harris
• Rodri Mendez, LSC-Houston North
• Hao Nguyen, LSC-Kingwood
• Daniel Ojeda Vanegas, LSC-Online
• Roberto Portillo Osorio, LSC-Kingwood
• Crystal Reyes, LSC-Kingwood
• Ulises Rocha Guevara, LSC-North Harris
• Rosa Rodriguez, LSC-CyFair
• Emily Salinas, LSC-Montgomery
• Milagro Salinas, LSC-Montgomery
• Jeramie Thomas, LSC-North Harris
• Roxana Torres, LSC-Kingwood
“To be a Jack Kent Cooke semifinalist is a life-changing opportunity,” said Jeramie Thomas, LSC-North Harris business administration and political science student. “Lone Star College System is the only reason I’ve been able to do any of this. The staff here has been instrumental in my development as a student and in helping me further my collegiate career.”
Thomas initially enrolled at LSCS as an aerospace engineering major after graduating high school in 2019. Like many high school graduates, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, but he quickly realized aerospace engineering wasn’t the path for him. He took some time off from school to discover his true passions.
Fast forward to 2026, and Thomas is an Honors College student, a Distinguished Global Scholar, and now a Jack Kent Cooke semifinalist with multiple acceptances to four-year universities lined up. He plans to pursue a career in law, politics or as a professor.
“I’m a lower-income student raised by a single mother. This is something that I once thought was not achievable for someone like me,” Thomas said. “I am very much only capable of doing this because of the opportunities I was given at Lone Star College System.”
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation named 485 total semifinalists across the country from more than 1,300 applicants. Applicants are evaluated on academic ability and achievement, perseverance, and leadership.
Semifinalists will advance to compete for the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which awards students up to $55,000 per year for two to three years. Finalists will be named in May.
“Through the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation works to ensure that exceptional community college students have the opportunities to reach their full academic potential,” said Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation executive director. “This year’s semifinalists reflect the remarkable talent and ambition found in community colleges nationwide.”
Visit LoneStar.edu/Scholarships to learn more.
Lone Star College System enrolls over 90,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSCS is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Mario K. Castillo, J.D., serves as Chancellor of LSCS, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2025 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education. LSCS consists of eight colleges, six centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.