Rennie M. Gallo, who graduated last month from the University of Central Arkansas, is among 34 students in the United States to receive a graduate scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
“Everyone at UCA is very proud of Rennie for her tremendous academic accomplishments,” said UCA President Lu Hardin. “This is one of the most selective and prestigious awards in the world, on a par with the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships, and Rennie is in a very elite group of students. She continues a strong tradition of academic excellence at UCA.”
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation graduate scholarship is one of the most valuable academic awards of its kind. It covers educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, required fees, and books, and can be worth as much as $50,000 per year for a maximum of six years.
Gallo is only the second Arkansas recipient of the scholarship since it was created seven years ago.
“I don’t have a doubt in my mind that I could not have come this far without the people who supported me at UCA,” said Gallo, a native of El Progreso, Honduras. “The people there have big ideas and are not afraid to think of the larger picture, and that has inspired me to pursue different options and new opportunities.”
Gallo was a student in the UCA Honors College, and she earned a bachelor of science degree in health sciences with an emphasis in health services administration. She will begin her graduate studies this fall at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, where she will seek a master’s degree in public health (MPH).
In recent years, UCA students have won several of the most prestigious academic awards, including a Rhodes Scholarship (Rhett Martin, 2002), a Goldwater Scholarship (Shannon Palmer, 2005), a Truman Scholarship (Lisa Screeton, 1997), and a Rotary Ambassador Scholarship (Anna-Kate Mayhew, 2005).
The UCA Honors College this year marks its 25th anniversary as UCA celebrates the 100th year since its founding. It was one of the first honors colleges established in the nation, is one of the most fully developed honors colleges, and is one of only a handful of degree-conferring honors colleges.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 2000 through the will of Jack Kent Cooke, who owned the Washington Redskins football team. Its mission is “To help young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education.”
