Recipients also receive academic advising, career guidance, access to internships and study abroad opportunities, and membership in a network of more than 3,900 Cooke scholars and alumni.
Santa Monica College student Martin Orea has been named a recipient of the 2026 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a highly competitive national award that provides substantial financial support to community college students transferring to four-year universities.
Orea, a first-generation college student from Fullerton, was selected by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation as one of 60 scholarship recipients nationwide. The scholars were chosen from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants, including 485 semifinalists.
The scholarship provides up to $55,000 annually toward completing a bachelor’s degree after institutional financial aid is applied. Recipients also receive academic advising, career guidance, access to internships and study abroad opportunities, and membership in a network of more than 3,900 Cooke scholars and alumni.
At Santa Monica College, Orea studies public policy, communications and political science and participates in the college’s Law Pathway Program, which supports students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds pursuing careers in law.
Orea has held several leadership positions, serving as director of basic needs for the Associated Students of Santa Monica College and as communications coordinator for the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. He hopes to pursue a career in public interest law focused on expanding access to justice for underserved communities.
Earlier this year, Orea was one of only two California community college students selected to receive the Outstanding Student Stipend Award from California LAW Pathways during the 2026 Pathways to Law Summit hosted by UC Law San Francisco.
A daily commuter who travels from Fullerton to Santa Monica by train, Orea plans to transfer to Georgetown University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public policy through the university’s joint program with the McCourt School of Public Policy. He hopes to later earn a master’s degree in public policy and a law degree before entering public service.
Orea credited numerous Santa Monica College faculty members, counselors and administrators for helping him reach the milestone.
“Whenever I took a leap of faith, these mentors helped me take that leap with confidence,” Orea said. “If not for their guidance, belief, and care, I would not be where I am today.”
Among those he recognized were Law Pathway Program lead Dr. Vicenta Arrizon, Public Policy Institute co-director Shari Davis, Communication and Media Studies Professor Nathan Brown, Board of Trustees member Dr. Nancy Greenstein, counselors Dr. Paul Jimenez and Tiffany Inabu, and Interim Associate Dean of Student Life Thomas Bui.
Orea said those mentors helped him secure opportunities including internships with Isaac Bryan and Lou Correa, as well as selection to the Harvard Kennedy School Public Policy Leadership Program.
According to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, nearly 80% of community college students aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, but only 16% achieve that goal within six years. The scholarship program aims to improve those outcomes by reducing financial barriers and providing support throughout the transfer process.
