Lone Star College-CyFair’s Jaquelyn (Jackie) Galvan, whose desire is to give people confidence with smiles that can brighten the world, is 1 of 90 across the country selected as a finalist of the highly competitive and prestigious Jack Kent Cooke (JKC) Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

“For me, receiving the JKC scholarship means that me and my family’s sacrifices were worth it. Coming from a low-income family, my mother constantly had to make sacrifices to keep me and my grandparents afloat,” said Galvan. “The financial stability of this scholarship means I can complete my bachelor’s and not have to put a strain on our family.”

With the JKC scholarship, which provides finalists $55,000 up to three years to complete their bachelor’s degree, Galvan’s career goal is to become an orthodontist.

“What drew me to this field was shadowing an orthodontist in high school and seeing how every patient's confidence grew over time with their smiles becoming wider with each visit,” she said. “Knowing that my future career could make people gain confidence in themselves and I would get to make people smile every day is one I knew would be the most rewarding for me in the health field.”

As a member of The Honors College at LSC-CyFair and recipient of the Chancellor’s Fellow Scholarship, Galvan was among LSC-CyFair’s more than 4,000 graduates celebrated this May.

“Jackie is dedicated both to her studies and to helping others, and we are proud to follow her story into its next chapter as a JKC finalist,” said LSC-CyFair President Dr. Valerie Jones.

Galvan is one of five JKC finalists in Texas, four of whom hail from the Lone Star College System. As LSC-CyFair’s sixth finalist in its history, she joins a legacy of academic excellence.

Inspired by students like Galvan? Join LSC-CyFair’s vibrant community! Register for summer and fall classes at LoneStar.edu/regcyfair.