Engineering Science Major Jose “Fabrizzio” Cevallos Receives Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) Engineering Science major Jose “Fabrizzio” Cevallos has been named one of 50 high-achieving community college students nationwide to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

The scholarships provide up to $40,000 a year to complete a bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution. Student awardees are selected based on academic achievement, financial need, community service, leadership and persistence.

Cevallos was among nearly 1,500 students from 311 community colleges nationwide to apply for the 2020 scholarship. Of the 22 BMCC students who applied, 10 were named semifinalists, more than any other CUNY community college, according to Susie Gyamfi, BMCC scholarship coordinator.

The semifinalists are Sakib Ahmed, Schidza Cime, Abdoul-hanane Gbadamassi, Sergio Gomez Navarro, Patrick Izidro de Souza, Anna Miller, Daniel Orjuela Boyaca, Lala Ouedraogo, Abubakar Yussif and Andrea Gomez Sarmiento.

“I am very proud of Jose for being among the 50 winners nationwide this year and I’m proud of all our semifinalists, too,” said Gyamfi.

Cevallos is awaiting admissions decisions from universities that include Cornell and Princeton. He plans to switch his major to Biology and pursue his life-long goal of becoming an emergency room physician.

BMCC professors inspire Cervallos with their support

“The morning I got the email, I woke my brother up and we started jumping like little kids on his bed, hugging and screaming in Spanish,” said Cevallos.

Five years ago, at age 14, Cevallos moved to the United States from Lima, Peru with his mother and two brothers. The family settled in Brooklyn and he enrolled at Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School. His command of English was tenuous at best, so worked hard to improve his proficiency.

When he began his studies at BMCC in 2018, Cevallos earned a scholarship from the Out-in-Two Presidential Scholarship program. He also served as a peer mentor for the Impact Mentoring Program, to help newly arrived BMCC students adjust to college life.

“I chose BMCC  for several factors. One is affordability. Another is because two of my best friends attended BMCC and spoke highly of the professors,” said Cevallos. “Also, the Engineering Science program at BMCC has some of the same early science curriculum that medical school programs require.”

Among the professors, he is especially grateful to are English Professor Manya Steinkoler, Math Professor Anastasia Kornkoyeva, Physics Professor Chiaki Yaganisawa and English Professor Maria Garcia.

“They changed my life with all their support,” said Cevallos.

“Jose was in my English 101 class and sat in the front of the room,” said Garcia. “At first he struggled a bit with the academic writing required for this class because he’s a poet and storyteller at heart.”

She adds that two weeks into the semester, she saw him gathering three other students around him as he left class, who were also native Spanish speakers.

“Then I knew why he peppered me with very specific questions about class assignments,” said Garcia. “He had started an informal group that he mentored throughout the semester.”

Before BMCC transitioned to distance learning because of the COVID-19 crisis, Cevallis spent almost all his time on campus.  Although his classes still take up a lot of his time, he appreciates getting to spend more time with his family. Watching news about the crisis has also strengthened his resolve to become a doctor.

“I am pursuing medicine because I want to be the sort of doctor who shows human compassion to all my patients, regardless of background,” said Cevallis.

Cooke Transfer scholars receive comprehensive education advising and more

“We know this is a very uncertain time for many students and their families. We remain deeply committed to supporting high-achieving community college students to ensure they have the resources to reach their full academic potential,” said Seppy Basili, Executive Director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We are excited to welcome this new class of Cooke Transfer Scholars to our community and looking forward to seeing the many amazing things they do as they continue on their transfer journey.”

In addition to financial support, Cooke Transfer Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising from the Foundation to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year college and preparing for their careers.

Scholars also receive opportunities for internships, study abroad and graduate school funding, and they join a thriving network of over 2,700 fellow Cooke Scholars and alumni, nationwide.

 

Related articles: Science Major Norbesida Bagabila Earns Prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship; BMCC Student Aurela Dragani Awarded Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Transfer Scholarship