Leyton Gassaway, a senior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts from Paragould, has been awarded a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship worth up to $40,000 annually.
Gassaway is one of 85 high school students from 27 states receiving the Cooke College Scholarship for undergraduate study this year.
All of the Cooke College Scholars have financial need and strong records of academic achievement as shown by grades, test scores, leadership skills, service to others and perseverance in the face of adversity.
“These scholarships will transform the lives of remarkable young people who excelled in high school and who are capable of excelling at the most challenging colleges and universities,” Cooke Foundation Executive Director Harold O. Levy said. “Our nation will benefit by enabling these outstanding students to fully develop their talents and achieve great things in their careers.
Gassaway had previously participated Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars Program, which provided high ability middle and high school students with financial need with individualized advising combined with comprehensive financial support. The support included a personal academic and college counselor, funding for academic and enrichment programs in the summer and during the school year, internship and study abroad opportunities, and educational resources including books and technology.
"I have had the privilege to be involved with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation for four years now, and it has presented me with some of the most unbelievable opportunities,” Gassaway said. “The Foundation has opened so many doors for me, from allowing me to attend summer study programs at some of the top schools in the nation to traveling across the globe on a public health service adventure.
“I firmly believe that I would not be the person that I am today without the overwhelming encouragement and support from the Foundation, and I am overjoyed to be able to carry that over into the next chapter of my life."
Gassaway will attend Hendrix College in Conway. She is planning to major in biochemistry and molecular biology. She encouraged high achieving students with financial need to apply for the Young Scholars program in the fall.
Cooke Scholarships fund the costs of attending college not covered by other financial aid, plus academic advising, stipends for internships, study abroad, and opportunities to network with other Cooke Scholars and alumni. In addition, after earning a bachelor’s degree, each Cooke College Scholar will be eligible for a scholarship for graduate school worth up to $50,000 a year for up to four years.
Since 2000, the Cooke Foundation has awarded approximately $147 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 students and $90 million in grants to organizations that serve outstanding low-income students.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. It offers the largest scholarships in the U.S., comprehensive counseling and other support services to students from 8th grade to graduate school. Since 2000 it has awarded about $147 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 students and $90 million in grants to organizations that serve outstanding low-income students. www.jkcf.org