Brigham Young University economics student Dong-Jin (Dan) Kim of Orem, Utah, has been selected to receive the prestigious 2007 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship worth up to $300,000.
The scholarship will provide Kim with up to $50,000 per year for six years of graduate school expenses. He was selected as one of this year's 34 recipients out of nearly 1,000 applicants and is only the second BYU student to have ever received the prominent award.
Kim, who will graduate from BYU with University Honors in August, plans to use the money to attend the University of Cambridge, where he will study international relations at the Centre for International Studies. He intends to participate in both the master's and doctoral programs.
Kim attributes much of his success to BYU's economics program. "If it was not for the strong program, I would not have won the scholarship," he said. "In fact, I owe it to Dr. Kerk Phillips and his willingness to train me as his research assistant."
He also said having the opportunity to participate in an international summer program for select BYU students to study and research for the summer at Cambridge's Pembroke College was another major contributor to his accomplishment.
Jordan Toone, who graduated from BYU with a degree in Near Eastern Studies, was named a Jack Kent Cooke scholar in 2005. He used his award to attend Oxford University.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation was founded in 2000 to help exceptionally promising students reach their full potential through education. In addition to offering scholarships for students attending graduate and professional schools, the foundation offers scholarships for students from community colleges who want to pursue four-year degrees, scholarships to help high-achieving youth develop their talents and abilities throughout high school and grants designed to increase educational access for outstanding students with financial needs.
For more information, contact Carolyn Tuitupou at (801) 422-6136.
Writer: Aaron Searle
