“We congratulate these seven remarkable students on their great success in and out of the classroom. Their stories exemplify the excellence, determination and promise that define our University community,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “As they continue pursuing their academic goals, the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship will help remove financial obstacles and empower them to focus fully on their education and future success.”
This year’s selection process drew more than 1,300 applications from community colleges across the country. The recipients were selected from a pool of 485 semifinalists, which included more than 20 CUNY students from six of the University’s seven community colleges. Applicants were evaluated based on academic achievement, perseverance and leadership.
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“These Scholars reflect the depth of talent and determination found in community colleges across the country,” said Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili, chief executive officer of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “They’ve demonstrated what they’re capable of, and we’re proud to help ensure that financial barriers don’t prevent them from continuing their education and realizing their full potential.”
The 2026 CUNY winners of the award are:
Borough of Manhattan Community College
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Golam Fahim came to New York from Bangladesh seeking an affordable and supportive environment to begin his college education. Although adapting to a new country and education system presented challenges, especially while balancing academics with work and personal responsibilities, Golam made it through. “That process was not easy, but it taught me persistence, discipline and how to keep moving forward,” he said. Golam hopes to study mechanical engineering and explore aerospace opportunities, and to one day develop technologies that address real-world needs. He is undecided about the four-year institution he will attend for baccalaureate studies.
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Mathematics major Vireak Hom came to BMCC from Siem Reap, Cambodia. His journey to college was shaped by significant challenges, including growing up without family support. But at BMCC, Vireak found both opportunity and purpose. One of the most meaningful parts of his experience has been mentoring students through Crear Futuros, a Hispanic Federation-sponsored program that supports first-year students through weekly one-on-one meetings and group sessions. He was a finalist for class valedictorian and was selected to receive the 2026 Senior Vice President/Dean for Academic Affairs Award. He hopes to build a career while opening a small business that supports people in Cambodia through education and clothing sponsorships. He is undecided about which college he will attend next year.
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Originally from Ukraine, Mariia Yanovska conducted careful research into community colleges that would allow her to successfully earn an associate degree before transferring to a four-year institution. That’s when she found BMCC. “I read a lot of reviews and watched videos,” said Mariia, who studies multimedia programming and design. “That’s when I realized that the college motto ‘Start Here. Go Anywhere.’ really makes sense.” Over the past few years, CUNY Spring Forward and other University opportunities have helped her build experience and consider her career path even more deeply. “In five years, I see myself as an experienced UX/UI designer or web developer,” she said. “Maybe one day I will even open my own company.” Mariia is undecided about what four-year institution she will attend.
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Before coming to the U.S., Sitora Yusupova had already studied in four languages and was a competitive basketball player. Now living in Queens and studying in yet another language, Sitora has been involved in BMCC’s Honors Program and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. As a marketing communications intern for the Research Foundation of CUNY last summer, she supported content creation, outreach strategy and social media coordination for CUNY-affiliated communications projects. Through BMCC research initiatives, she is conducting neuroscience research that she will present through the NESS program at Harvard Medical School. She is also participating in an international study abroad and internship program through the Council on International Educational Exchange and has built an online educational platform that has reached more than 12 million views. Sitora hopes to become a healthcare provider and continue combining science, research and communication to contribute to meaningful change. She will attend Columbia University.
Kingsborough Community College
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Urwa Faraz Malik emigrated from Pakistan in 2024. An engineering science major at Kingsborough, she credits her interest in this area and fascination with airplanes to growing up near an airport. While at Kingsborough, Urwa has strengthened her interests in engineering by conducting faculty-mentored research within the CUNY Research Scholars Program. She was also recently accepted into Cornell University’s National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), a 10-week summer program. She will continue her study of physics, mechanics and design systems at Cornell, where she will be majoring in mechanical engineering beginning this fall.
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Nataly Briones is a first-generation college student and mother of four graduating this spring with an associate degree in human services, focusing on mental health. “In these challenging times, this award represents possibility. It affirms that immigrant voices are valued and that we truly belong,” said Nataly, who was born in Ecuador and raised in New York. “My inspiration comes from my community, and I hope this recognition encourages others to pursue their goals and invest in strengthening the communities we all share.” At LaGuardia, Nataly has been an ASAP student and a mentor with Crear Futuros. She was also selected as a Women’s Forum of New York Scholar in 2025, in recognition of her academic excellence, leadership and resilience. Nataly will attend Brown University in the fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in medical anthropology.
Queensborough Community College
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Pamela De León Berroa immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic at age 17. At Queensborough, she studied criminal justice. Her academic career has been filled with prestigious awards and honors, including the Kaplan Educational Foundation’s Kaplan Leadership Program, which supports high-potential community college students from the New York City area. Pamela’s goal is to work in public policy or immigration law. She will pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science at Yale University beginning this fall.
Last year, a record-breaking nine CUNY community college students earned the Cooke scholarship. More information about the scholarship can be found here.
The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and eight honors, graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving 247,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 50,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “genius” grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. To learn more about CUNY, visit https://www.cuny.edu.
