It took Shannon Connor, 48, a long time to realize her dream of college, and she had to overcome many obstacles along the way. But once she enrolled inSeminole State College of Florida, she excelled.
And now, thanks to an Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Connor is getting a free ride to complete a bachelor’s degree in communications at Rollins College (Florida). Her long-term goals include earning a law degree and working in the nonprofit or public interest sector.
Connor is one of 90 community college students awarded a 2015 Cooke undergradute scholarship, which provides up to $40,000 a year for three years at a transfer institution. That’s the largest cohort since the program began 14 years ago. This year, 2,061 students from 540 colleges applied.
