Recent Holy Cross Alumna Wins Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship

WORCESTER, Mass. – Kathryn Casey, a 2003 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross from Long Island City, N.Y., is among 77 recipients of the 2006 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship. She was chosen after a nationwide selection process that drew 1,100 nominations from across the nation, making it among the most competitive scholarships in the United States.

Casey will receive up to $50,000 per year over two years to study international affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, with a concentration in human rights. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in peace and conflict studies at Holy Cross.

Selection criteria for the scholarship included academic achievement and financial need as well as a will to succeed, leadership, and community involvement.

After attending graduate school, Casey plans to work either in the government or non-profit sector advocating for women’s rights in developing countries.

“Through my studies and work, I hope to increase the understanding of the relationship between gender egalitarianism and prosperity, while simultaneously helping to create economic and social opportunities for women in their communities,” she said.

“I am deeply grateful to the graduate studies committee that nominated me and to the Holy Cross community in general,” she said. “My essays for the applications — and indeed, my graduate and professional goals as well — drew upon lessons, themes, and ideas I gained from courses and activities through professors, friends and peers at Holy Cross.”

Casey is currently the assistant to the executive office at the Tanenbaum Center in New York, where she manages interns, government relations, and assists in program projects, among other duties.

Founded in 2000, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, independent foundation established by the estate of Jack Kent Cooke to help young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education. According to the foundation, “Each award covers a portion of educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, required fees, and books for the graduate degree chosen. The amount and duration of awards vary by student based on the cost of attendance and the length of the graduate program as well as other scholarships or grants received. The maximum available per student per year of study is $50,000 and the maximum length is six years.”