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Lone Star College students receive prestigious scholarships

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awarded four Lone Star College students with its Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, making it possible for the students to complete their bachelor’s degrees at a selective four-year college or university.

Rey M. Laurencio, LSC-CyFair; Edwin Umanzor, LSC-Kingwood; Tiffany N. Avalos-Lopez, LSC-Tomball; and Maria D. Gonzalez-Trevino, LSC-Tomball will each receive up to $40,000 per year to cover a significant share of educational expenses including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees.

“We are very proud of these students,” said Dr. Stephen C. Head, LSC chancellor. “The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awards this scholarship to approximately 85 deserving students nationwide, so to have four selected from Lone Star College is quite an accomplishment.”

“Knowing that I had reached the pinnacle of academic success despite being an immigrant, bilingual and financially disadvantaged was such a surreal experience,” said Laurencio who has been accepted into the Bauer College of Business at The University of Houston. “Stopping to consider my worth instead of comparing myself to the rest of the top-tier college students across the nation was the first step in gaining confidence.”

“I know everyone says they didn't expect to win, but I seriously didn’t expect to win,” said Umanzor. “Becoming a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar is incredible. It feels like validation. Like I made the right decision going back to school.” Umanzor has applied to The College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas.

The selection process for these awards is rigorous and highly competitive with approximately 85 scholarships awarded each year out of thousands of applicants. A review panel of distinguished university admissions professionals and faculty judge the applicants using criteria including achievement and academic ability, financial need, persistence, leadership, and service to others.

“It was an emotional moment for me because I did not have to worry anymore of finding a way to pay for my studies. I truly felt extremely blessed,” said Gonzalez, who plans on transferring to the University of Houston to pursue a law degree. “Writing pages of essays was not easy, but definitely worth it.”

“I was speechless and in shock when notified of the award,” said Avalos-Lopez. “It is an honor to be part of a group of scholars such as the ones selected to receive this award.” Avalos-Lopez plans to transfer to Houston Baptist University to major in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology.

“These prestigious scholarships are life-changing and provide encouragement for these students that will have a profound impact for the rest of their lives,” said Head.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, independent foundation dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally-promising students who have financial need. The Foundation supports exceptional students from elementary school to graduate school through scholarships, grants, direct service, and knowledge creation and dissemination.

Known for its leadership, innovation and steadfast commitment to student success, Lone Star College provides high-quality academic transfer and workforce education / career training programs to more than 83,000 credit students each semester, and a total enrollment of 95,000 students. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to promote student success and economic prosperity. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., is the chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, which consists of six colleges, eight centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.

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