SENMC student named Jack Kent Cooke Semifinalist

On March 5, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced the 485 semifinalists for its highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Among those selected was Southeast New Mexico College student Sammy Lopez, Jr., who earned recognition from a highly selective pool of more than 1,300 applicants representing 224 community colleges across 37 states.

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is one of the most prestigious opportunities available to community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at top four-year institutions. The scholarship supports high-achieving students with exceptional academic ability, leadership, service, and determination. Through the program, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation works to remove financial barriers that often prevent talented community college students from transferring to and graduating from leading accredited universities across the United States.

As a semifinalist, Sammy Lopez joins a distinguished group of students nationwide who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to making a meaningful impact in their communities.

Sammy has long aspired to attend Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, where he plans to pursue a pre-medical track while majoring in neuroscience. His long-term goal is to continue to medical school and become a physician.

Inspired by a desire to give back to the community that helped shape him, Sammy hopes to return to Carlsbad after completing his medical training to provide life-saving medical care and expand healthcare opportunities for residents in the region. His journey reflects both academic excellence and a deep commitment to service.

Being named a semifinalist for the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship places Sammy among the nation’s most promising community college scholars and highlights the caliber of students emerging from Southeast New Mexico College.