Michelle Mitchell Receives Prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship for Graduate and Professional Studies

Michelle Mitchell, who graduated summa cum laude from Trinity in May with the Class of 2006, was selected to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship for Graduate and Professional Studies. The highly selective scholarship awards up to $50,000 per year to each recipient for graduate studies, for a total amount of up to $300,000 for each scholarship, which is among the largest scholarships offered in the United States.

michelle_mitchell.jpgMitchell will attend law school at the Georgetown University Law School. At Trinity, she majored in politics and economics, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year, and served as Student Government Association president. During her time at Trinity, she interned with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Trinity graduate, and has worked for several years at the US Department of Treasury.

Students attending any accredited college or university in the US were eligible; each institution can nominate up to two students. Candidates then underwent a rigorous assessment at two stages by independent panels of academic experts, including graduate school deans, admissions counselors, and faculty. The selection criteria included academic achievement and financial need as well as a will to succeed, leadership, and community involvement. Dr. Carlota Ocampo, associate professor of psychology, is Trinity’s faculty representative for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

Last year the foundation awarded just 76 scholarships after a nationwide competition among 1,290 nominees. In announcing the scholarships last year, Dr. Matthew J. Quinn, executive director of the Foundation, noted that “Support for exceptional students, particularly those with financial need and a great drive to succeed, can have a profoundly positive effect on society. These students have overcome tremendous obstacles, and we are proud to help them continue their education and prepare to make valuable contributions to our world.”Jack Kent Cooke Foundation