The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation recently announced that four Harper College students were named semifinalists for the intensely competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The annual award provides as much as $55,000 per year for two to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the U.S.
The Harper students – Bruno Diaz, Wengipreye “Preye” Indiamaowei, Annette Lee and Priyanka Saroya – are among 467 semifinalists who were selected from a pool of more than 1,600 applicants. All four are graduating from Harper this spring with associate degrees and are excited to further pursue their studies at four-year institutions.
Before the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation reveals the 2025 Undergraduate Transfer Scholars in May, get to know Harper’s student semifinalists:
Bruno Diaz
Bruno, 19 from Prospect Heights, was burned out after high school. He said he would have taken a gap year if his parents hadn’t encouraged him to come to Harper in the fall of 2023. He found that Harper reignited his interest in learning and helped him pursue his goal of becoming an English as a second language (ESL) teacher at a high school in his community. He also got involved on campus, joining Latinos Unidos, playing drums in the Harper Jazz Ensemble, acting in Harper Theatre Ensemble productions and taking part in the GLIDE mentorship program (first as a mentee, then as a mentor). At Harper, Bruno discovered that he could balance all his interests while locating the best career path for him. Graduating with an Associate in Arts degree, he’s looking to transfer to a Chicago area university to stay close to home while earning a bachelor’s in education.
“When I think about Harper, it’s kind of like a slingshot because Harper stretches you,” Bruno said. “It helps you learn about yourself. I came here to learn what I wanted to do and what my strengths are and what my goals are. You keep going until you’re finally ready to be released.”
Wengipreye “Preye” Indiamaowei
Preye, 19 from Rolling Meadows, was born in Nigeria and moved with her family to the Chicago area when she was 7. She said she didn’t view herself as a leader when she was in high school. But during her two academic years at Harper, she’s become president of the Honors Society, a member of Phi Theta Kappa and co-president of the college’s Ethics Bowl team (which won the Two-Year College Championship in 2024). In the meantime, she’s been working toward a degree in business and IT with a Global Scholar Distinction – her project was on how the intersection of misogyny and racism affects Black women. She plans to transfer to a university to pursue a career that combines data science and digital design, potentially for a political organization. Preye said that the version of herself that arrived at Harper in the fall of 2023 is unrecognizable to her now.
“That person didn’t know how capable she was,” Preye reflected. “Harper gave me the flexibility to discover myself. I’m cognizant of the world around me and I have a clear vision for my future.”
Annette Lee
Annette, 20 from Elk Grove Village, has been teaching since she was in high school. Back then she taught piano. As a college student, she teaches creative writing to kids in a home school co-op and tutors students in literacy at GiGi’s Playhouse. It’s no surprise that she’ll be graduating Harper with a degree in English on a teacher licensure pathway with plans to attend a four-year institution and complete her bachelor’s. While working toward her goal of becoming a high school English teacher who helps students fall in love with reading and writing, Annette started a student book club at Harper and employed her writing skills at The Harbinger. She said she’s enjoyed her time at Harper, exploring a range of subjects in classes and meeting a variety of new friends through clubs and activities.
“I’ve met amazing people and formed great relationships with professors,” Annette said. “I’ve gotten to explore so many different interests during my time at Harper.”
Priyanka Saroya
Priyanka, 20 from Palatine, immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was 5. After graduating high school, she initially planned to attend a four-year institution to pursue a finance degree but reconsidered when she realized that she wasn’t confident about that career path. Priyanka shifted her focus to Harper, where she found friends, support and an interest in accounting. While serving as vice-president of the Honors Society and a member of Phi Theta Kappa, she worked as a student aide with the Harper College Educational Foundation, a role that she said made her more aware of the importance of community. After graduating from Harper with an Associate in Applied Science degree with a concentration in accounting, Priyanka plans to transfer to a university to earn her bachelor’s, then go to law school. Her overarching plan is to apply her knowledge of accounting and law to help others navigate the complicated world of business.
“We can never really do anything in life without the help of others,” Priyanka said. “I’m always going to need someone and someone is always going to need me.”