Owatonna senior wins prestigious Cooke scholarship

Fardouza Farah, a senior at Owatonna High School, is the only Minnesota recipient of this year’s Cooke College Scholarship, awarded to 100 graduating high school seniors across the country.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awards recipients up to $55,000 annually to cover costs associated with their undergraduate education as they go on to attend some of the nation’s top colleges and universities next fall.
Farah is actively involved in the Justice Education Project, International Central Asian Project, Speech, Mock Trial, National Honor Society, Students Helping Others Choose (SHOC), Green Team, Girls United, Student Council, and Color Guard. She is also president of the Minnesota Youth Against Sexual Violence organization.
Accepted at Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, Farah will make her decision by May 1. She plans to pursue a political science major on a pre-law track.
The Cooke College Scholarship Program helps high-achieving students with financial need earn a college degree. Scholars also receive ongoing academic coaching and advising, graduate school and career advising, and access to a network of over 2,800 active Cooke Scholars and Alumni.
“Our country is full of bright and motivated students. We want to make sure those with financial need have the opportunity to succeed,” said Seppy Basili, Executive Director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “We admire the determination displayed by the finalists this year, and we’re extremely proud of these students’ achievements. We look forward to witnessing their future accomplishments.”