Graduate Receives Up To $120,000 To Pursue Bachelor’s Degree

Dallas Elleman was awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, worth up to $40,000 per year for up to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. This scholarship for top community college students is the largest private scholarship for community college transfer students in the country.

Elleman graduated from Tulsa Community College in May 2016 with associate degrees in physics, mathematics, and electrical engineering. In addition, he was a TCC Honors Program graduate, a PIPESTEM Scholar, and a member of Phi Theta Kappa. He is involved in undergraduate research and was named a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory intern in 2014 and a JPL Solar System Ambassador for Oklahoma, doing outreach in the community regarding space exploration.

He was also a founding member of Tulsa CHAMP (College/High School Aquaponics Mentoring Partnership), a team that formed in a TCC STEM Research Challenge course and became finalists in the National Science Foundation Community College Innovation Challenge in both 2015 and 2016. He plans to begin work on his bachelor’s degree at the University of Tulsa in fall 2016.

“This is a tremendous honor for Dallas Elleman and will help this father of three reach his education goals,” said Leigh B. Goodson, TCC President and CEO. “Elleman is the seventh recipient from TCC to receive the Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship award since its inception in 2000.”

Elleman was one of 75 community college students chosen by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation from a competitive nationwide pool this year. Five other TCC students, Charity Hrncir, Gloria Hrncir, Joshua Navarro, Jim North, and Samantha Rice, were selected as semifinalists for the Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

Cooke Scholarships fund the costs of attending college not covered by other financial aid, plus academic advising, stipends for internships, study abroad, and opportunities to network with other Cooke Scholars and alumni. In addition, after earning a bachelor’s degree, each Cooke Scholar will be eligible for a scholarship for graduate school worth up to $50,000 per year for up to four years.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. It offers the largest scholarships in the U.S., comprehensive counseling and other support services to students from 8th grade to graduate school. Since 2000 it has awarded about $147 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 students and $90 million in grants to organizations that serve outstanding low-income students.