Lauri Goodling and Kari Miller
Since 2002, 28 Perimeter College students have been awarded the Jack Kent Cooke (JKC) Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The JKC scholarship offers each winner up to $55,000 per year for up to three years. JKC is the country’s largest private scholarship for two-year and community college transfer students.
Perimeter students interested in applying for the scholarship are lucky to have two enthusiastic resources ready to help them: Dr. Lauri Goodling and Dr. Kari Miller.
For the past several years Dr. Lauri Goodling, associate dean of the Honors College, associate dean of international initiatives and associate professor of English, has served as Perimeter’s official campus representative for all things JKC and offers students tips and guidance through their application process.
"Working with the JKC candidates is one of the most rewarding parts of my job," said Goodling, "... this scholarship opens the kinds of doors for our students that are TRULY transformative — not just for the student, but for generations in their life to come."
Kari Miller, professor of English and Honors College coordinator for research and national scholarships, has worked closely with students applying for the prestigious and competitive award and is another available resource for students. Now in her fifth JKC scholarship cycle, Miller is happy to offer students invaluable advice and best practices for writing their essays and completing their scholarship application.
“I’m always in awe of our students and their accomplishments,” said Miller, “and this year’s group of semifinalists is one of the most impressive. Their tenacity and drive to succeed give me hope for the future. As they write and rewrite their scholarship applications, they gain valuable self-awareness and validation. It's a privilege to witness that transformation and maybe help guide it a little. Even if they don’t win, the process is profoundly impactful. But winning is life-changing! The JKC removes the obstacles in their path and enables them to pursue their dreams.”
There are six Perimeter College students who have been named JKC semifinalists this year.
• Paloma Hodje – Engineering
• Abubakar Jidda – Health Sciences
• Bisma Malik – Computer Science
• Prosper Olusegun-Joseph – Computer Science
• Rakeb Tesfassellasie – Engineering
• Soe Wai Yan – Engineering
The Cooke Foundation will announce its 2025 winners in May.
Perimeter’s Newton Campus recently hosted a fun and interactive community event, The Newton Panther Pop-Up. They did a great job showing off Covington as the “Hollywood of the South.” The town has been a film location for shows like The Vampire Diaries, Sweet Magnolias, and more. During the event, students had the opportunity to learn about exciting career paths in film, connect with industry professionals and get a behind-the scenes look at what happens in filmmaking. The Panther Pop-Up featured a scavenger hunt in the center of downtown Covington that included prime filming locations like the Mystic Café and the large clock tower.
In March, the American Association of Community Colleges featured Dr. Janna Blum, associate professor of physical sciences, in its Community College Daily news publication for her work last year as a mentor for their Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC).
Blum mentored a team of three Perimeter College students who went on to win first-place at the CCIC competition. The three students, Shalom Ejiwunmi, Sophia Bereket and Rakeb Tesfasselasie, designed a self-administered Pap test. Blum was able to introduce them to several gynecologists and subject-matter experts who offered invaluable information and suggestions to the team for how to improve their pitch. She also accompanied them to Washington, D.C. for the CCIC Bootcamp. Since winning first place the team has formed an LLC and submitted a provisional patent application.