Bergen Community College: Students' Drive Rewarded With $55,000 Scholarship

New Milford NJ

08 June, 2022

8:14 PM

Description

Press release from Bergen Community College: June 8, 2022 PARAMUS, N.J. – Following in the footsteps of 16 Bergen Community College alumni, four class of 2022 graduates have earned the most prestigious honor for junior college students – the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship. The award provides up to $55,000 per year for each student to complete a bachelor's degree. Graduates Bertila Bruka, Eduardo Hernandez, Dahyun (Crystal) Yoo, and Leslie Yuqui learned they became the latest Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Scholars last month. Only 100 U.S. students secured the highly competitive scholarship. "These students have worked so diligently to achieve their dreams and we could not be prouder of them," Phi Theta Kappa and Honors Coordinator Anna Gergen said. "Watching them grow by engaging with the JKW School of Honors and the Phi Theta Kappa honor society has been a true privilege, and we look forward to seeing how far they will go with the accolades and experiences they have accumulated." Bruka, of Leonia, a natural sciences and mathematics honors student, has distinguished herself as a STEM leader at the College. As a member and director Bergen's PTK honor society with a 4.0 GPA, she plans to study biomedical engineering and pursue a career in cardiothoracic surgery. Her brother, Bekim, earned the scholarship last year after graduating from Bergen and now studies at Columbia University. "As a JKC Scholar, I feel incredibly honored to have the chance to represent immigrants, women scholars and women in STEM as we navigate our identities, reach for our dreams, and pursue our passions," she said. Hernandez, of North Bergen, an information technology honors student, participated in clubs such as the Latin American Student Association and worked as a writing and ESL tutor. Born and raised in El Salvador, Hernandez moved to the United States in 2017 with career goals of working as a security engineer in technology and teaching computer science as a college professor. As an ESL volunteer instructor in his town, Hernandez has a strong commitment to community and plans to create a foundation to help recent immigrants with limited resources. He received a nomination from the Ministry of Culture of El Salvador for the "Most Outstanding Salvadorian Abroad" award. He will attend Stevens Institute of Technology. Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state. This press release was produced by Bergen Community College. The views expressed here are the author's own.