Two Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) 2017 graduates received the Jack Kent Cooke (JKC) Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.
Martha Gizaw and Amanullah Waheed were the recipients of this year’s scholarships which “provides up to $40,000 per year for tuition, books, living expenses and required fees for the final two to three years necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university,” according to a release.
“The Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is the largest private scholarship in the nation for students transferring from two-year community colleges to four-year institutions,” stated a release.
Gizaw and Waheed both attended NOVA’s Woodbridge Campus, and were selected as the winners based on their academics, grades, leadership, community service work, and overcoming adversity, stated a release.
The two were selected out of around 3,000 applicants.
“Without NOVA, none of this would have been possible. My instructors have been such a huge part of my life. They continuously motivated and encouraged me to stay at NOVA, and I really took their words into consideration,” stated Waheed in a release.
More on Waheed:
Waheed was born in Pakistan, and described his childhood as being raised in a family of “international intellectuals.” Prior to his birth, Waheed’s parents fled their home in Afghanistan to eventually live in New York and Philadelphia under impoverished conditions. He will graduate this spring Summa cum Laude, with a 4.0 GPA and an A.S. degree in Business Administration; including 38 honor credits – the highest number of honor credits completed by a NOVA student. Waheed has achieved Dean’s List and Presidential Scholar distinction throughout his enrollment at NOVA.
Although he was being accepted as a freshman at Boston University and Babson College, Waheed chose to attend NOVA, where he currently serves as the president of the NOVA-Woodbridge Chapter Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society and as an active member of several campus organizations. With aspirations of becoming a venture capitalist to help future entrepreneurs develop small start-up companies, the Osbourn Park High School graduate is considering transferring to Georgetown University, Boston University, University of Virginia and Pennsylvania State University.
“I never expected to be surprised like this. Before coming to NOVA, I had to explain to my parents that even a student with a learning disability could attend a college or university, and I did. After going through all of these amazing experiences at NOVA, I have discovered that I came here to represent who I am today,” stated Gizaw in a release.
More on Gizaw:
Originally from Texas, Gizaw will graduate this spring Summa cum Laude, with a 3.92 GPA and an A.S. degree in Science and Computer Science. Accomplished in piano, violin, voice, drawing, painting, graphic design and scientific illustration, Gizaw was raised in a single-parent home and was diagnosed with mild autism at an early age. Her mother is a registered nurse and cares for Gizaw’s two younger siblings, who have significant disabilities.
Gizaw enrolled at NOVA through the Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program. She also received a two-year NOVA Honors Scholarship that covered the expense of tuition and books for her entire NOVA degree program. As a full-time student, she has presented several scientific research projects for the Virginia Collegiate Honors Council and has served as a research assistant. Gizaw plans to transfer to a four-year university to become a computational neuroscientist, and is considering George Mason University, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University and the College of William and Mary. She is also one of two NOVA nominees for the 2017 Goldwater Scholarship, awarded to students interested in science, mathematics, engineering and computer (STEM) disciplines.
