Brookdale Student Named Finalist for Prestigious Cooke Transfer Scholarship

Brookdale Community College student Arthur Fumarola was named a finalist for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, one of the nation’s most prestigious and competitive awards for community college students. This year, 467 semifinalists were selected from more than 1,600 applicants representing 212 community colleges across 43 states.

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship provides up to $55,000 annually to help high-achieving community college students with financial need transfer to top four-year institutions and complete their bachelor’s degrees. More than just financial aid, the scholarship includes personalized advising, career development resources, internship and study abroad opportunities, and access to a network of over 3,400 Cooke Scholars and alumni.

Fumarola, a Matawan, NJ native, is a standout member of Brookdale’s S-STEM Scholars Program and currently interns with NASA. His research focuses on how solar eclipses affect radio wave transmission, particularly how changes in the ionosphere can impact shortwave communication. “My project goal is to understand how the ionosphere, which reflects and refracts radio waves, behaves differently during eclipses,” he explained.

Beyond academics, Fumarola is active in campus life as vice president of the STEM Student Lectures and Research Club, liaison for the Computer Science Club, a member of the Engineering Student Association, and a participant in the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS).

In his Cooke Scholarship application, Fumarola emphasized the significance of his NASA internship, noting that his research project closely aligns with his future aspirations. He also cited a quote by actor Matthew McConaughey: “My hero is always 10 years away. I’m never gonna be my hero. I’m not gonna obtain that, I know I’m not. And that’s just fine with me, ’cause that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.” For Arthur, the quote reflects his mindset of continual growth and his drive to achieve even greater things in life.