Promise Scholar and ambassador named semifinalist for transfer scholarship
Promise Scholar and ambassador named semifinalist for transfer scholarship
March 11, 2021
Warwick, RI – Rhode Island Promise Scholar and second-year Community College of Rhode
Island student Halima Ibrahim of East Greenwich is one of more than 400 semifinalists
nationwide for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.
Named after the Canadian-American businessman and owner of three North American professional
sports franchises, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation established its Undergraduate Transfer
Scholarship to assist the nation’s top community-college students seeking to complete
their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities.
While nearly half of postsecondary students begin their educational journey at a two-year
college, according to the foundation, only five percent transfer to the nation’s top
colleges. The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship aims to increase the number of community-college
students completing their education at top four-year institutions.
Of more than 1,500 applicants nationwide, Ibrahim was the only semifinalist chosen
from Rhode Island and one of 406 nationwide, representing a field that included students
attending 398 community colleges in 44 states and the District of Columbia. The number
of winners chosen varies each year based on the strength of the applicant pool; 47
were chosen in 2018, followed by 61 in 2019, and 50 in 2020.
“When I first heard the news about being a semifinalist, I didn’t believe it was real,”
said Ibrahim, an Art History major who plans to earn an additional bachelor’s degree
in Middle Eastern Studies. “To earn this scholarship would be huge for me and really
help determine where I will transfer to once I graduate from CCRI this semester.”
Winners are announced in April and will receive the following from this highly-selective
scholarship:
Up to $40,000 annually for a maximum of three years to complete their bachelor’s degree.
Comprehensive educational advising from foundation staff to guide them through the
processes of transitioning to a four-year school and preparing for their careers.
Opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding.
Connections to a thriving network of 2,300 fellow Cooke Scholars and alumni.
In addition to her role as the Student Government President of CCRI’s Knight Campus,
the 18-year-old Ibrahim is also the state’s Youth Poetry Ambassador, only the third
in Rhode Island’s history, and a member of CCRI’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter.
She has been accepted to Loyola University Chicago, School of the Art Institute of
Chicago, Cornell College (Iowa), and Kings College and has also applied to Harvard
University, Brown University, Williams College, UCLA, and UC Berkeley.
As a high school student, Ibrahim began writing poetry while struggling with the effects
of Lyme disease and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). She
is active within the March for our Lives Rhode Island movement as one of its founding
members, the RI Womxn’s Action Initiative, and the Rhode Island Coalition Against
Gun Violence. In 2018, she performed her poem, “Wake Up,” in front of a crowd of more
than 7,000 at the March for Our Lives Rally at the State House.
Ibrahim became Knight Campus President in the Fall 2020 semester and immediately began
working on restructuring the college’s Student Government to include at least one
representative from various minority groups – African-American students, Muslims,
Asian-Americans, student veterans, and students with disabilities, among others –
to serve as a liaison between Student Government and underrepresented groups of the
student population. Ibrahim is also working with the Student Government task force
assigned to suggest and approve changes to the college’s current Student Government
Constitution.
The Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally-promising
students who have financial need. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded $175 million
in scholarships to more than 2,300 students from eighth grade through graduate school,
along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The foundation has
also provided more than $97 million in grants to organizations serving such students.
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Nearly 30 years after beginning his CCRI education, 76-year-old Ed McGuirl is about to check the final box on his long, fascinating résumé. In the mid-1990s, the Jamestown resident studied at CCRI to pursue a social services degree that would complement his work as a substance-abuse treatment professional. But a busy work schedule forced McGuirl to indefinitely pause his studies – until now.
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Spring 2025 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher thissemester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announces that Business and Professional Studies Associate Professor Maureen A. Murray, of Exeter, RI, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Teaching Excellence Award by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). This prestigious honor recognizes educators who exemplify excellence in teaching and dedication to student success within business education.
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The Lowe’s Foundation awarded $1 million to the Community College of Rhode Island as part of a select group of community and technical colleges receiving Gable Grants. Since awarding its first grants in 2023, the foundation has expanded skilled trades career pathways through its growing roster of funded partners of 60 community colleges and nonprofit organizations across 28 states.
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The Community College of Rhode Island Players’ 2025 Summer Rep is just around the corner. The annual theater season begins Thursday, July 31 with CCRI Players’ adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors”, which will be directed by Karen Carpenter and run through Sunday, Aug. 3. The performance, rehearsals for which began this week, is the first of a two-part series that will conclude with a four-day run of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” premiering Wednesday, Aug. 20.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announces the hiring of Chef Kenneth Watt, CEC, MBA, as Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts. Chef Watt will lead the college’s all-new Culinary Arts program, which is unique to CCRI’s Newport County Campus.
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The Community College of Rhode Island is proud to announce that longtime coach and athletic director Vin Cullen has been named a recipient of the NJCAA Coaches Association Legacy Award, a national honor recognizing individuals who have made a lasting impact on two-year college athletics and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student-athletes throughout their careers.
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WARWICK, R.I. -- The Community College of Rhode Island’s Cybersecurity Club is riding high after succeeding on a national scale during the spring. Thanks to a strong showing at the National Cyber League (NCL) spring competition, CCRI placed 27th nationally out of 510 colleges and universities in the final Cyber Power Rankings for the spring season. The performance was commended by David Ziechick, commissioner of the NCL, which has students perform real-world cybersecurity tasks that translate to the workforce.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is pleased to announce that it has joined the network of Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing, and economic mobility.
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When an opportunity presented itself, Max Hayden took it and ran with it. Hayden initially focused on behind-the-scenes work for CCRI’s theater program. But after accepting and thriving in the lead role for the school’s Yellowman production in 2023, Hayden became a fixture of the school’s theater program over the last two years.
CCRI Students Blending Art And Science In Unique Exhibition Funded By NSF Grant
June 04, 2025
If you love art or science, and especially if you love both, you’ll want to visit CCRI’s Lincoln Campus this month. Throughout the spring, CCRI Art & Design students collaborated with CCRI STEM professors and students to create original, science-inspired art projects. Funded by a $15,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR initiative, this collaboration highlights creative potential that emerges when these two disciplines meet.
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Nearly 30 years after beginning his CCRI education, 76-year-old Ed McGuirl is about to check the final box on his long, fascinating résumé. In the mid-1990s, the Jamestown resident studied at CCRI to pursue a social services degree that would complement his work as a substance-abuse treatment professional. But a busy work schedule forced McGuirl to indefinitely pause his studies – until now.
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Spring 2025 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher thissemester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
CCRI Professor Maureen A. Murray Honored with 2025 ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announces that Business and Professional Studies Associate Professor Maureen A. Murray, of Exeter, RI, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Teaching Excellence Award by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). This prestigious honor recognizes educators who exemplify excellence in teaching and dedication to student success within business education.
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The Lowe’s Foundation awarded $1 million to the Community College of Rhode Island as part of a select group of community and technical colleges receiving Gable Grants. Since awarding its first grants in 2023, the foundation has expanded skilled trades career pathways through its growing roster of funded partners of 60 community colleges and nonprofit organizations across 28 states.
CCRI Players' Summer Rep Returns With Adaptation of Shakespeare's 'The Comedy of Errors'
July 18, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island Players’ 2025 Summer Rep is just around the corner. The annual theater season begins Thursday, July 31 with CCRI Players’ adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors”, which will be directed by Karen Carpenter and run through Sunday, Aug. 3. The performance, rehearsals for which began this week, is the first of a two-part series that will conclude with a four-day run of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” premiering Wednesday, Aug. 20.
CCRI Alumni Association Elects Announces New President and Officers
July 17, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association has elected a new President. Cumberland native Malida Khim, a 2019 CCRI graduate and Impact Coordinator for Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy at CVS Health, will replace Jeffrey Wright Jr., a Woonsocket resident who has held the role since 2023.
CCRI Welcomes Chef Kenneth Watt To Lead New Culinary Arts Program at Newport Campus
July 15, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announces the hiring of Chef Kenneth Watt, CEC, MBA, as Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts. Chef Watt will lead the college’s all-new Culinary Arts program, which is unique to CCRI’s Newport County Campus.
CCRI Alum Justin Bibee Named National Peace Corps Association '40 Under 40'
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly celebrates alumnus Dr. Justin Bibee, a 2009 graduate and Cranston, RI native, who has been named to the National Peace Corps Association’s 2024 “40 Under 40” list, recognizing the next generation of leaders who are reimagining American leadership through service, spirit, and solutions.
Former CCRI Athletic Administrators Vin Cullen and Kevin Salisbury Receive National Recognitions
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June 27, 2025
WARWICK, R.I. -- The Community College of Rhode Island’s Cybersecurity Club is riding high after succeeding on a national scale during the spring. Thanks to a strong showing at the National Cyber League (NCL) spring competition, CCRI placed 27th nationally out of 510 colleges and universities in the final Cyber Power Rankings for the spring season. The performance was commended by David Ziechick, commissioner of the NCL, which has students perform real-world cybersecurity tasks that translate to the workforce.
CCRI Alum Johnny Villella Wins Emmy For Story On Providence Patrolman
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Johnny Villella needs to clear more space in his trophy case. Villella, a CCRI alum, won an Emmy at the 2025 New England Emmy Awards in the category of News Feature: Serious Feature (Multiple Reports). The award is one of many for Villella, who’s enjoyed a long, decorated career at WPRI-TV (Channel 12 in Rhode Island).
CCRI Joins Achieving The Dream Network To Advance Student Success And Community Impact
June 16, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is pleased to announce that it has joined the network of Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing, and economic mobility.
On February 24, 2025, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) recognized CCRI alumni Francine Jackson’s contributions to astronomy education and outreach by naming an asteroid in her honor.The designation was announced in WGSBN Bulletin 5, No. 3, under new names of Minor Planets.
How Theater Alum Max Hayden Earned CCRI's Fifth Gamm Fellowship
June 11, 2025
When an opportunity presented itself, Max Hayden took it and ran with it. Hayden initially focused on behind-the-scenes work for CCRI’s theater program. But after accepting and thriving in the lead role for the school’s Yellowman production in 2023, Hayden became a fixture of the school’s theater program over the last two years.
CCRI Students Blending Art And Science In Unique Exhibition Funded By NSF Grant
June 04, 2025
If you love art or science, and especially if you love both, you’ll want to visit CCRI’s Lincoln Campus this month. Throughout the spring, CCRI Art & Design students collaborated with CCRI STEM professors and students to create original, science-inspired art projects. Funded by a $15,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR initiative, this collaboration highlights creative potential that emerges when these two disciplines meet.
76-year-old Musician Completing CCRI Degree Decades After Starting
June 02, 2025
Nearly 30 years after beginning his CCRI education, 76-year-old Ed McGuirl is about to check the final box on his long, fascinating résumé. In the mid-1990s, the Jamestown resident studied at CCRI to pursue a social services degree that would complement his work as a substance-abuse treatment professional. But a busy work schedule forced McGuirl to indefinitely pause his studies – until now.
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Spring 2025 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher thissemester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
March 11, 2021
