Lone Star College-CyFair chemistry major Jaquelyn Galvan and computer science major Mahmoud Masoud have been selected as semifinalists of the highly competitive Jack Kent Cooke (JKC) Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.
These outstanding scholars are among the 19 students across the LSC system - the most of any college in Texas and the United States - named as a JKC semifinalist. In all, 467 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,600 applicants nationwide this year. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship covers a substantial share of educational expenses, providing as much as $55,000 per year for two to three years at any accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the nation.
Such a prestigious scholarship would not only relieve financial strain in continuing her education, but would mean all the family’s sacrifices were worth it, said Galvan, particularly those of her role model mother who views education as a “fundamentally rewarding investment in life.”
Now Galvan hopes to be an example of motivation and strength for her younger brothers with plans to pursue her bachelor’s degree at Rice University, go on to dental school and ultimately become an orthodontist. Furthermore, her career goal is to offer free or reduced-cost surgeries to children who suffer from cleft lips and other craniofacial and mandibular abnormalities around the world.
“Knowing that my future career could make people gain confidence in themselves and I would get to make people smile every day is one I knew would be the most rewarding for me in the health field,” she said.
On his path to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the tech and marketing industries, Masoud also plans to transfer to Rice University to earn his degree with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence research.
“I plan to specialize in AI-driven solutions for scientific research, particularly in energy storage and sustainability. Additionally, I am deeply committed to leveraging technology and entrepreneurship to advocate for social justice,” said Masoud, who, with family still living in Jordan and Palestine, also desires to continue representing Muslims facing violence and aims to create impactful innovations to drive meaningful changes.
Furthermore, he said the JKC scholarship would provide support that would allow him to focus on research and innovation without financial constraints while “accelerating his goals of advancing AI technology for energy storage solutions and addressing pressing environmental challenges.”
Since 2012, LSC-CyFair has had 5 students awarded the prestigious JKC scholarship. Finalists will be announced this April.