October 2025

The Importance of a Cooke Career Network

Watch the following video to better understand the “why” behind our creation of a Cooke Career Network, and to hear about an incredible Alumni-sponsored internship that one of our Scholars participated in this pats summer.

Kicking off the Second Year of our Internship Initiative

Last summer, Cooke Scholars gained incredible experience and forged lasting professional connections thanks to opportunities shared by Cooke Alums. This year, we’re ready to build on that momentum and open even more doors for our talented Scholars. We’re thrilled to launch the second year of the Coke Career Network!

Our annual initiative is all about creating pathways and sparking possibilities, and you can be a key part of it. Whether you can host a Cooke Scholar yourself or know of a great opening at your organization, we invite you to submit an internship opportunity.

To make these experiences accessible, we offer an internship stipend, and applications for that support close on April 16, 2026. Be sure to share your opportunity before then so Scholars can plan ahead and take full advantage.

Together, we can empower Cooke Scholars to explore their passions, grow professionally, and bring their talents to communities across the country. Let’s make year two even bigger and brighter!

Alum and Scholar Voices from the Past Year

Engineering for US All

Cooke Alum Katie McKeown

Katie McKeown, the Business Operations Coordinator and Director of Assessments at Engineering for US All (e4usa), supported the hiring of three Cooke Scholars this summer at e4usa.

“Working with Cooke Scholars has been an absolute pleasure. Because of the overlap in their roles and their shared supervisor, they’ve had the opportunity to collaborate closely throughout the internship—and it’s been a home run. So far, they’ve conducted a social media and website audit, created a media kit for our partner teachers, supported outreach through Salesforce, and drafted communications to potential partner schools.

Any fellow JKCF Alum considering offering an internship opportunity, go for it! The fresh perspectives and genuine interest/initiative among Cooke Scholars is unmatched and guaranteed to help your work!”

You can connect with Katie on LinkedIn here.

Cooke Scholar Adrian Villegas

Cooke Scholar Adrian Villegas joined the Young Scholar program in 2020 and became a College Scholar in 2025. Currently a Civil Engineering major at Rice University, Adrian joined the e4usa team this past summer as a Partnerships Intern, supporting efforts to build and strengthen collaborations that help advance the organization’s mission.

“Working with fellow Cooke Scholars has been incredible. I believe that the quick connections you can make with your fellow Scholars lead to working collaboratively in a more efficient manner. Additionally, there is a definite sense of support throughout your internship if you get the opportunity to work with a fellow Scholar.

I would encourage a fellow Scholar to consider applying for an Alumni-sponsored internship opportunity because, ultimately, it is a deeply enriching and fulfilling experience when you find an internship whose mission aligns with your own personal interests.”

You can connect with Adrian on LinkedIn here.

Teach for Cambodia

Cooke Alum Moni Siv

CEO and Founder of Teach for Cambodia Moni Siv hired two Cooke Scholars this summer who joined him in Cambodia.

“I would wholeheartedly encourage any Alum to offer an internship to a Cooke Scholar. These interns are brilliant! They are deeply mission-driven, proactive, and committed to making meaningful impact. At Teach For Cambodia, our interns brought a blend of humility, creativity, and analytical thinking. I see they care deeply about the outcomes and the people affected by their work beyond just completing tasks. They listen deeply, respond well to feedback, and are incredibly respectful and pleasant to work with. They push real progress forward. They influence our thinking and inspire our team. Offering an internship isn’t just about mentorship; it’s about co-creating change with someone who genuinely wants to make the world better.

Yuda approached his climate and sustainability education project with exceptional care and clarity. He designed our program’s logic model, built our first newsletter, and represented us in the global Teach For All community. His work continues to shape how we think about sustainability education and leadership. 

Both interns brought empathy, intellect, and heart into our organization. They’ve earned the admiration of our entire team. I’m deeply satisfied with their contributions  for what they accomplished and for how they did it. Their work is already influencing our future strategy and direction.”

You can connect with Moni on LinkedIn here.

Cooke Scholar Yuda Goldbloom

Yuda is a 2024 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Environmental Health Engineering.

"It is totally worth applying for [an Alumni-sponsored internship]! Having that connection ahead of time helps ease the stress of the application process, and lets you focus more on making sure it's the right fit for you. In my experience, the Cookie community is very welcoming and caring, while simultaneously having a great ability to think about the bigger picture. For example, during my internship at Teach For Cambodia, I worked closely with the founder Moni Siv, a former Cooke Scholar. I think the idea of 'Cookie for life' really sums up the experience - though my internship was challenging, I felt that Moni was invested not just in my immediate success, but supporting my journey and finding opportunities for transformation." 

They also shared their experience interning with a fellow Scholar, “Maybe I'm just lucky, but it feels as though we're all aligned on an intuitive level. To explain it further - I think each fellow Scholar I've met has this unique ability to maintain positivity, a sense of self, and high standards (or should I say idealism?) despite some serious challenges. The wisdom and vision that arises as a result is a great thing to find communion through with others who've done the same.”

You can connect with Yuda on LinkedIn here.

Career Spotlight: Alums Making Moves

In this special edition of our October newsletter, we're highlighting the power of Cooke Alum support through our Internship Initiative—and we want to celebrate you too! Have you recently started a new role, launched a venture, or made a meaningful career pivot? Share your professional milestones and career updates with us so we can spotlight the incredible ways Alums are leading and inspiring Scholars.

Submit your news below or email Alumni Engagement Manager Gabby Nicholas to be featured.

A Look Back at our First Internship Campaign

  • Top 5 Industries represented across our internship offerings:

    • Nonprofit or Government 

    • Business 

    • Communications/Marketing 

    • STEM 

    • Education 

  • 9 organizations that offered internships were founded by Alums:

    • A Seat at the Piano 

    • Cross Impact Capital 

    • Daniel Gonzalez Organ Builders 

    • Leading Change Africa 

    • Omena 

    • OutCare Health 

    • Samaanta 

    • StreetCred 

    • Teach for Cambodia 

  • 25% of the internships offered had openings for more than one intern 

  • 17% are social impact/responsibility organizations 

  • 6 offered opportunities for Scholars to work directly with an Alum as their supervisor:

    • Travis Johnson – Play It Forward 

    • Shrochis Karki – Samaanta 

    • Dustin Nowaskie – OutCare Health 

    • Dee Polk – St. Helena 

    • Francesca Raoelison – Omena 

    • Susan Yang – A Seat at the Piano

  • Allocation of Scholars who were matched by grade level:

    • 11% rising Grad Scholars

    • 41% rising seniors 

    • 22% rising juniors

    • 22% rising sophomores

    • 3% rising freshman

  • Scholars from 18 universities and 1 high school were placed in internships 

  • 15% of the organizations have annual revenue greater than $1.5 billion

Why Share An Opportunity?

Becoming an internship host is a powerful way to invest in the next generation of Cooke Scholars while strengthening the bonds that make our Alum network so special. By welcoming a Scholar, you’re continuing the tradition of mentorship and connection that defines the Cooke community.

Benefits for Alum Hosts

  • Pass the baton: Share your expertise and personal journey, guiding a Scholar as their professional chapter begins.

  • Build your legacy: Leave a lasting mark at your organization by helping shape the careers of future leaders.

  • Gain fresh energy: Scholars bring new ideas, perspectives, and enthusiasm to your team or project.

  • Grow as a leader: Hosting offers valuable experience in mentorship, supervision, and professional development.

  • Strengthen Cooke connections: Deepen relationships within our lifelong community of Scholars and Alum.

A Note from the Career Advancement Director

Dear Cooke Alumni,

I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Director of Career Advancement at the Foundation. This position provides strategic leadership and oversight of Alumni engagement and career services. In this role, I’ll be working alongside many of you to strengthen the alumni network and support Scholars and Alumni in building meaningful, impactful careers.

I’m grateful to serve as part of what I call the Dynamic Trio with Gabby Nicholas, Manager of Alumni Engagement, and Jennifer Krasilovsky, Dean of Career Services. Together, we are committed to creating opportunities, fostering connections, and cultivating a vibrant network where Alumni and Scholars thrive.

My career has always centered on helping individuals and organizations flourish. I have guided professionals through career transitions, supported high-achieving students in securing competitive roles, and partnered with leaders to expand growth and opportunity. What excites me most is bringing this experience to a community as powerful and dedicated as the Cooke Alumni network.

Your commitment to contribute, connect, and lift one another higher makes this network more than just a community. It is a movement. I feel honored to join you, and I look forward to listening, learning, and adding value to this sacred space we share.

Warmly,
Kim Dickerson
Director of Career Advancement

Upcoming Events

Interested in learning more about how you can get involved? Join us for a brief webinar next week. We’ll walk through how to create and submit internship opportunities, share examples of past placements, and highlight the impact alumni support has had on Scholars’ career development. Whether you're ready to offer an internship or just exploring ways to contribute, this session will equip you with everything you need to get started.

Register for the informative webinar on October 9 from 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. ET with the Foundation’s Career Advancement team.

We held our first webinar last month, and you can watch the recording below.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What will be expected of Alums during the internship?

    • We invite you to help Scholars successfully navigate their internship work environment. How that happens depends on the role you have with regards to the internship – hiring manager vs. contact. Maybe it’s informal coffee chats. Maybe it’s formal supervision. The internship work experience is up to the hiring organization.

  • Can i submit more than one internship opportunity?

    • Yes. We would love to share multiple opportunities with our Scholars!

  • Does the Foundation provide resume writing or interview prep?

    • Yes. We offer a variety of services to support Scholars in crafting strong resumes and cover letters and preparing for interviews. Contact us at internships@jkcf.org if you would like to help in these ways.

Tufts Scholars in May 2025

Alumni BuzzCooke FoundationAlumni Buzz