Seven Perimeter College Students Named Semifinalists for Prestigious National Scholarship

DECATUR, Ga. — Seven students at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College were recently selected as semifinalists for this year’s prized Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The semifinalists, all Perimeter Honors College students, are among 485 individuals selected from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants representing 224 community colleges across 37 states.

Perimeter College’s 2026 semifinalists and their areas of study are:

• Amr Abdelkawy - Biology
• Nader Adem - Computer Science
• Navila Azad - Physics
• Bukuru Josephine - Health Science Professions
• Claudia Madden - Art
• Ndeye Sarr - Engineering
• Ceci Vaughn - General Studies

The Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship enables recipients to complete their bachelor’s degree debt-free at any accredited four-year college or university in the United States, and provides last-dollar funding of up to $55,000 per year for two to three years. The award is designed to remove financial barriers so that high-achieving community college students can transfer to and thrive at the nation’s top institutions.

“This year's group of semifinalists are especially engaged on our campus and in the community,” said Lauri Goodling, associate dean for the Honors College and International Initiatives at Perimeter. “They are seizing literally every opportunity they come upon, and it's thrilling to watch. They are serving as campus leaders, working in the University Assistantship Program (UAP), studying abroad, presenting at conferences, co-authoring articles with professors, and fighting for social and political change. They are on fire with activity, and I love seeing those efforts recognized.”

During fall semester, Honors College faculty member Kari Miller (Ph.D. ’15), the Honors College’s research and scholarship coordinator and a professor of English, recruits and mentors Perimeter students through the lengthy Jack Kent Cooke application process to increase their competitiveness for the highly sought-after award.

“Working with these talented, driven students is so energizing and motivating. I am grateful that resources like the JKC Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship exist, and it's an honor to assist students in their pursuit of scholarships,” Miller said.

Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, said, “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. This year’s semifinalists reflect the remarkable talent and ambition found in community colleges nationwide.”

Since 2002, 30 Perimeter students have received the scholarship, with many transferring to institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Stanford University, Emory University, Georgia Tech and Georgia State University’s Atlanta Campus.

The Cooke Foundation will announce its 2026 winners in May.