KCC’s Urwa Faraz Malik ’26

Malik emigrated to the United States in 2024, a major transition for the eldest of four children whose father had remained in Pakistan for work. It was Malik’s job to help her family adjust to living in a new country, she said.

“Balancing work, family responsibilities, and full-time college classes was difficult, but it taught me discipline and resilience,” said Malik. “Instead of choosing between work and education, I chose both.”

Malik has a 4.0 GPA, is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and is a student in the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) and the Kingsborough honors program. She serves as a CUNY Spring Forward paid teaching intern and was just recently selected to be the Kingsborough Community College Class of 2026 valedictorian.

This summer she will participate in a 10-week, summer research training program (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) at Cornell University, focusing on hydrothermal environments on Earth and their implications for the search for extraterrestrial life, she said. Her dream is to one day work for NASA.

“I want to focus on designing systems that solve real-world problems and benefit communities,” she said. “I often describe this goal as becoming a ‘communal engineer,’ someone who ensures engineering solutions are not only technically efficient but also truly useful for the people who depend on them.”

To that end, Malik also spent the fall of last year interning at New York State Sen. Stephen T. Chan’s 17^th district office, which she said provided her a better understanding of how public policy, engineering, and community advocacy intersect.

Outside of academics, she enjoys painting, reading literature, and is even a published poet.

“Creative activities help me reflect and balance the intensity of studying engineering,” she said.

“Urwa’s selection as a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar is a moment of great pride for Kingsborough,” said President Suri Duitch. “This award is a testament to her intellect, hard work, determination, and perseverance. It is also the result of a committed network of faculty and staff deeply invested in helping students turn their ambitions into achievements. We look forward with great anticipation to all that Urwa will accomplish next.”

This year, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation received more than 1,300 applications from community colleges across the country, according to the JKCF. The 60 award winners, seven of whom are CUNY students, were selected from a semifinalist pool of 485 students.

“These scholars reflect the depth of talent and determination found in community colleges across the country,” said Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili, CEO of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “They’ve demonstrated what they’re capable of, and we’re proud to help ensure that financial barriers don’t prevent them from continuing their education and realizing their full potential.” 

To learn more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, visit the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation website.