Hartnell College graduating sophomore Jenel Fraij of Salinas receives $40,000 a year Cooke Foundation scholarship

For the 2nd straight year, an outstanding Hartnell student has received a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, one of only 50 awarded nationwide – including nine in California.



2020 graduate Jenel Fraij of Salinas was selected from among 461 semifinalists, who include fellow Hartnell students Kenya Burton and Estefania Villicana. The semifinalists were chosen from a pool of nearly 1,500 applicants at 311 community colleges.



The foundation evaluated each submission based on students’ academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, leadership and service to others. Among Fraij’s involvement outside the classroom was membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the Hartnell Physics Club and work as a student tutor in Hartnell’s Panther Learning Lab.



As a Cooke Scholar, Fraij will receive up to $40,000 per year to help cover the cost of educational expenses such as tuition, living expenses, books and required fees as she completes her bachelor’s degree. She also will be eligible to apply for up to $75,000 of funding toward graduate school.



In addition to financial support, Cooke Transfer Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising from the Cooke foundation to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year college and preparing for their careers. Scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships and study abroad, as well as connection to a network of more than 2,700 fellow Cooke Scholars and alumni.



Fraij, whose family immigrated to California from Syria in 2016, graduated from Everett Alvarez High School in 2018 and is completing degrees in mathematics and physics at Hartnell. She will continue her education at the University of California, Los Angeles, and she plans to pursue a career in mathematics research. This summer she will complete a long-distance math research internship with Brown University.



“None of this would have been possible without Hartnell College and everything that this amazing community has offered me,” she said. “I have never thought that I would someday compete for a national scholarship, let alone win it! Thank you for the recognition, and I hope to always represent my Hartnell College community in the best way possible.”



Fraij said she learned of the Cooke Scholar opportunity by reading about a Hartnell student, Mariluz Leon, who received the scholarship in 2019 and is now attending Yale University. Prior Hartnell recipients were Oscar Martinez in 2012 and Alex Gomez in 2013.



Hartnell Superintendent/President Dr. Patricia Hsieh informed Fraij of the scholarship by letter because COVID-19 restrictions kept her from doing so in person.



“Thank you for being such a capable and hardworking student and for achieving success that reflects so well on Hartnell’s dedicated faculty and staff,” Dr. Hsieh wrote.



Hartnell Governing Board President Aurelio Salazar Jr. said he expects the board will also want to recognize Fraij for her accomplishment.



“Jenel truly exemplifies the opportunity that Hartnell provides for its students, and we fully expect to have more Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholars in the years to come.”



Hartnell staff and faculty congratulated Fraij through a Zoom online conference call on April 28. They praised her hard work, commitment to learning and generosity toward fellow students.



Counselor Brook Foley, who works primarily with students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, described Fraij as “such a modest, humble, kind girl.”



“I couldn’t be happier for her,” she said. “It’s so well deserved.”



Math instructor Dr. Jennifer Moorhouse said Fraij is the kind of student who sits up front and is highly engaged in learning the material.



“She works hard!” Dr. Moorhouse said. “Students tend to look at students who do well in class, and they think, ‘Oh, you’re smarter than me,’ and I’m like, ‘No, Jenel works. I know she works, I can tell. She puts her heart and soul into it.”



Fraij returned the compliment, thanking faculty for helping her have an “amazing” experience at Hartnell and encouraging her to pursue undergraduate research and seek out opportunities like the Cooke scholarship.



“The common idea of a community college is that it’s for students who don’t get into a four-year school, and I totally disagree with that,” she said. “It’s amazing, and I’ve had a very good experience with faculty, and I got to do research, and this summer I’m doing research with an Ivy League – and I did that through Hartnell College.”