Another West LA College Student Awarded Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
Once again, the highly competitive Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship has selected a student from West Los Angeles College (WLAC). The scholarship aims for its scholars to complete their undergraduate educations with as little debt as possible and provides as much as $55,000 per year to complete a bachelor’s degree. Recipient Charles “Spenser” Wilson is one of 90 high-achieving community college students selected from a pool of over 1,600 applicants from 212 community colleges in 43 states. Wilson is also part of WLAC’s Transfer Honors Program. This is the third consecutive year that a West Honors student has been selected for the Cooke award.
Wilson began his college journey unconventionally. He left high school during his junior year to earn a GED while working full-time at a music shop. After initially pursuing a career in audio engineering, he found a deeper calling in healthcare and completed EMT and Phlebotomy training through UCLA’s Center for Prehospital Care. In 2022, he enrolled at West to complete general education and pre-nursing degree requirements. His next stop is UCLA where he will complete his Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing.
Wilson said it was during the COVID pandemic that he decided to change his path. “I did a lot of soul searching during the early stay-at-home days. I wanted to be part of a solution and also carve a new path in life that I could see concrete results from.” Additionally, Wilson says he sees completing his nursing degree as a way to honor his father, now deceased, who had aspirations of working in healthcare but was never able to do so.
“West LA has taken such good care of me. The smaller student to professor ratio has allowed me to have strong bonds with many professors who have gone on to be invaluable mentors to me. These professors helped me grow and overcome hindrances I thought were an innate part of me and cheered me on as I advanced,” said Wilson. “I always felt like an outcast, and that is the opposite of my experience at West. The quality of the professors and coursework I have had, and the good study habits I have developed, make me feel more than ready to advance to UCLA.”
The Transfer Honors Program at West provides students with enhanced assignments, specialized advising and transfer application support, and priority admissions consideration to top universities including UCLA and Loyola Marymount University.
“I attribute the Transfer Honors Program’s three consecutive years of producing Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship recipients to their strong culture of mentorship, academic rigor, and community,” said Dr. James M. Limbuagh, WLAC President. “Under the outstanding leadership of Professor Stella Setka, the Honors Program provides personalized guidance on scholarship and transfer applications to faculty who foster deep, discussion-based learning.”
“We try to empower students to see themselves as scholars, leaders, and changemakers,” said Setka. She added that “Spenser was nominated for this scholarship in recognition of his resilience, academic excellence, and leadership.”
The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship strives to make the goal of transferring from a community college to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree more attainable by providing last-dollar funding of up to $55,000 per year for up to three years. Beyond funding, Scholars receive personalized advising to guide their academic and professional journeys. Scholars also gain access to a nationwide network of more than 3,400 Cooke Scholars and Alumni, along with opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school support – ensuring they have every tool needed to thrive beyond community college.
About The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded almost $304 million in scholarships to more than 3,400 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising, career pathway counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $136 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org
About West Los Angeles College
West Los Angeles College is an ACCJC accredited California Community College that offers career certificates and Associate degrees as well as paths to transfer to competitive universities as a Junior. West also offers two Bachelor’s degrees in Dental Hygiene and Avionics. Students can enroll full-time or part-time, in-person or in the college’s award-winning online program. For more information, visit WLAC.edu.
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