Austin Community College District (ACC) student, Parker Garcia, is a semifinalist for the prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
The nationally competitive scholarship supports high-achieving community college students with financial need who plan to transfer to four-year colleges or universities to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
Parker was selected from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants nationwide. This year, 485 semifinalists from 224 community colleges across 37 states were chosen based on academic achievement, leadership, and perseverance.
Parker enrolled at ACC in fall 2023. He completed his associate degree in Government in fall 2025 and will earn a degree in Paralegal Studies this spring.
The scholarship provides recipients with up to $55,000 per year for up to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year institution in the United States, along with advising and professional development opportunities. Final scholarship recipients will be announced in May 2026.
ACC connected with Parker about the recognition and his academic journey. Read his reaction below:
Written by: Parker Garcia
I was at court for my paralegal internship when I got the news that I had been named a semifinalist. I had to keep my cool until I stepped outside, but once I did, I cried and called my mom. I must have read the email over and over again just to make sure it was real. At that moment, it felt like someone was finally giving me a chance.
My academic journey has been anything but traditional, and for a long time, I did not see myself as someone who belonged in higher education. Coming to ACC changed that. Mentors like Associate Dean of the Honors Program Dr. Anne Marie Thomas, Job Skills & Readiness Manager Jana McCarthy, and Transfer Services Executive Dean Dr. Renee Esparza believed in me when I had not fully seen the potential in myself yet. Their support helped me rebuild my relationship with education and pushed me to grow as a student and a leader.
Winning this scholarship would also mean a lot to my communities. As a transgender Latino student, I have grown up in a political climate where false narratives are often created about people like me. Being selected would allow me to enter spaces where those narratives can be challenged and where students from communities like mine are seen as capable and deserving of opportunity.
One of the biggest benefits of this scholarship would be the opportunity to become the student I have always wanted to be. I have been a working student since the age of 16, and financial stress has often meant balancing work and school in ways that made it difficult to fully immerse myself in my education. Receiving this scholarship would drastically change that and allow me to focus more deeply on my studies and contributions to the campus community.
No matter the outcome, I am deeply grateful for the mentors and community at ACC who helped me become the student I am today.
More scholarship opportunities continue at ACC. Students may apply now for a fall scholarship at austincc.edu/scholarship.