GCPS high school senior awarded Cooke College Scholarship

     Graduating senior Kairon Watkins from Paul Duke STEM High School has been named a 2025 Cooke College Scholar by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. This scholarship aims to help students who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, leadership, and persistence attend top universities and avoid student debt.

     Cooke College Scholars receive as much as $55,000 annually to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited undergraduate institution in the United States. They also receive ongoing academic coaching and advising, graduate school and career advising, and an invaluable connection to a robust network of peers in the Cooke Scholar community. In addition, Cooke College Scholars will also receive opportunities for internships and study abroad, as well as eligibility to apply for graduate school funding.

     Kairon is among a select group of 70 graduating high school students representing 29 states, plus the District of Columbia and American Samoa.

     The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of promising students with financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded $304 million in scholarships to more than 3,400 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising, career pathway counseling, and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $136 million in grants to organizations that serve such students.