Ndeye Sarr - Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Semifinalist

CLARKSTON, Ga. — Ndeye Sarr, who started studying at Georgia State University Perimeter College in Spring 2024, is pursuing an associate degree through Perimeter's engineering pathway. She is a semifinalist for the 2026 Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. A student on Perimeter’s Clarkston Campus, she moved to the United States from Senegal to pursue higher education that would facilitate her career goals.

Sarr was recently awarded the prestigious Perimeter STAR Award in engineering. She was also recently honored during Perimeter's STEM Student Scholars Awards Program as a STEM Scholar in engineering and was recognized with two STEM Community and Research Awards: one for her work as a MESA tutor and another for her role as an EXCITE research scholar.

When asked what it would mean if she won the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, she replied that it would mean, “turning possibility into reality; giving me the support to fully commit to my education and the confidence to pursue my dreams without hesitation.”

What has been the best aspect of attending Perimeter College? 
Attending Perimeter has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I never expected to create such great relationships with my professors, and they played a huge part in every single one of my achievements. Perimeter offers amazing opportunities I would have never been able to get at a 4-year college as an immigrant, non-native speaker and first generation student. Perimeter gave me the opportunity to transform my resilience into leadership and tangible community impact. After financial burdens and systemic disruptions in Senegal forced me into a path I did not choose, Perimeter provided the resources and academic environment to reclaim my narrative. I am forever grateful for the impact Perimeter has had in my life.

What’s next for you?
My immediate path involves transitioning from my studies at Georgia State University Perimeter College to a four-year institution where I can fully realize my potential as an engineer. I hope to attend one of my dream schools – Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Cornell University and Georgia Tech – to complete my Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. Eventually, I would like to complete my master's and doctorate in Biomedical Engineering.

What are your career goals?
I have clear career goals, deeply rooted in serving underserved communities like the one I grew up in. I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, followed by a master’s and doctorate in biomedical engineering, so that I can work at the intersection of infrastructure, environmental health and medicine. Growing up in Senegal, I witnessed firsthand how unsafe housing, inadequate sanitation and limited access to healthcare placed families at constant risk. During the rainy season, homes would flood, walls would collapse and families lived in constant uncertainty. These experiences left a lasting impression on me: the realization that engineering is not just about structures or technology. It is a way to protect human life, preserve dignity and empower communities.

I am determined to become a research-driven engineer who develops affordable, scalable solutions for low-resource communities. I hope to design resilient infrastructure that can withstand environmental challenges, improve access to clean water and sanitation and contribute to medical technologies that are practical and accessible. More than creating solutions, I want to work alongside communities, listening to their needs and co-creating interventions that are culturally appropriate and sustainable. My ultimate goal is to use engineering as a bridge to reduce disparities, create safer living conditions and to ensure that every family, regardless of where they are born, can live with dignity and hope.

What motivates you to keep moving forward with your academic and career journey?
What keeps me moving forward academically is a combination of curiosity, resilience and a sense of purpose shaped by my experiences growing up. Seeing the challenges in my community – flooded homes, unsafe structures and limited access to healthcare – taught me that problems can be solved with dedication, creativity and hard work. Every new concept I learn, every experiment I complete and every problem I solve feels like a step toward making a real difference for people who often go unheard.

I am also motivated by the belief that education is a tool I can use to lift others up. Even when coursework feels overwhelming or obstacles arise, I remind myself of the families and communities whose lives could be improved by engineering solutions. That vision of turning knowledge into tangible impact fuels my persistence and keeps me striving for excellence.

What experiences shaped who you are today and where you want to go with your career?
My academic journey began in Senegal, where financial constraints initially steered me toward a degree in dentistry, a path I pursued out of necessity rather than passion. However, when a government-mandated university closure halted my studies for 1.5 years, the interruption became a period of profound clarity. Observing the structural vulnerabilities and environmental challenges within my community during this time turned physics from an abstract requirement into a vital tool for resilience. I realized my true calling lay in the structural and environmental factors that determine a community’s health, prompting me to pivot toward engineering upon moving to the United States. This transition from a field I was assigned to one I have actively chosen has fueled my dedication to creating accessible, life-saving technology for underserved populations. My career goals are now defined by a commitment to global health equity, ensuring that the safety and stability I once found so fragile become permanent foundations for communities worldwide. I am driven to lead an interdisciplinary firm that treats sustainable infrastructure as a public health imperative, proving that technical mastery is the ultimate form of service.

How have you overcome challenges and experienced growth?
Growing up in Senegal shaped both who I am and the path I want to take with my career. I witnessed families living in homes vulnerable to flooding and structural failures, while access to clean water and healthcare was limited. These experiences revealed how closely human well-being is tied to the built and natural environment and inspired me to pursue engineering as a way to create solutions that improve safety, health, and quality of life.

My academic journey has been shaped not only by curiosity and determination but also by the financial realities of my family. The cost of higher education is a constant challenge, and without support, continuing my studies would be tremendously difficult. This scholarship represents more than funding; it is a bridge that allows me to pursue my goals without the burden of choosing between education and financial survival.

Despite these obstacles, I have dedicated myself to excelling in science, mathematics and engineering, seeking hands-on projects and research opportunities that strengthen my ability to make a real-world impact. These experiences have solidified my ambition to develop practical, accessible solutions for underserved communities, combining technical expertise with a commitment to social equity. Most importantly, my family's support has had such a huge impact in my life, especially my mom. Her prayers and encouragement have had a tremendous impact on my success.

With this scholarship, I would not only continue my education but also be empowered to give back to communities like the one that shaped me. I hope that all the hard work I have put into my education pays off by making me a strong applicant for the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Scholarship.

What are you most proud of accomplishing during your time at Perimeter?
I am very proud of everything I was able to accomplish at Perimeter. During my time here, I was named outstanding student of the semester several times. I was named 2024–2025 Freshman STEM Scholar of Excellence in Engineering and received the Western Digital STEM scholarship from Scholarship America. My team placed second at the 2025 Community College Innovation Challenge where we pitched RoyaNest, an electricity-free neonatal cooling system that treats babies born with birth asphyxia, especially in rural communities.

My team also placed third at the Perimeter College Innovation Challenge for presenting a passive air purifier, dehumidifier, and mold guard that aims to improve indoor air quality and combat mold in college dormitories, with plans for global expansion to underserved areas like refugee shelters, rural hospitals and mobile clinics. I had the honor of being selected to attend the 2025 Society of Women Engineers conference. I presented a research project we conducted at EXCITE (Extra-Curricular Instrument Training Experience) about pH activities at the Georgia Academy of Science this year.

Thanks to the research skills I gathered from Perimeter, I have been accepted, this summer, into the Stanford Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) where I will be conducting research in a cardiovascular Biocomputation Lab and the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, Integrating Machine Learning and Casual Principles for Civil and Environmental Engineers at Clemson University.

Most importantly, Perimeter introduced me to extracurricular activities. I currently serve as the president of the Clarkston Computing and Engineering Club. I am also the vice-president and a founding member of the Society of Women Engineers affiliate at Perimeter College. I also serve as a Perimeter Ambassador and a MESA peer tutor.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I cannot express how grateful I am for all the opportunities I got at Perimeter College. If I were to mention every single person who supported me throughout my academic journey, the list would be endless. I thank each one of them. Regardless of the outcome of the scholarship, I will always carry what I have learned and experienced at Perimeter with me everywhere.

Perimeter College has been home to an impressive number of recipients of the national Jack Kent Cooke (JKC) Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Since 2002, 30 Perimeter students have received the competitive award from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which offers each winner up to $55,000 per year for up to three years. It’s the country’s largest private scholarship for two-year and community college transfer students. Perimeter JKC winners have succeeded in bachelor’s degree programs (and beyond) at Georgia State University and other prominent institutions such as Yale, Georgia Tech, MIT, Emory University, Howard University, University of Southern California, Stanford University and Agnes Scott College.