Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholar Chionque Mines Introduces President of the United States Barack Obama

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Dec 04, 2014, 09:31 ET

LANSDOWNE, Va., Dec. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the White House College Opportunity Summit today President Barack Obama will be introduced by Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholar Chionque Mines, who will share her moving account of overcoming family challenges while growing up in a violence- and drug-stricken neighborhood in Philadelphia. She will also mention the organizations, including the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and the people who helped her on her path to becoming a successful student at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.

"We are very proud of Chionque. She embodies what it means to be a Cooke Scholar—an exemplary student, resilient, determined, and committed to giving back to her community," said Executive Director Harold O. Levy. "The White House could not have chosen a more fitting scholar to introduce the President."

Joining the Foundation as one of its Young Scholars, Chionque quickly distinguished herself as a smart, hard-working, and talented student. Today she is a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholar majoring in medical sociology and minoring in women, gender, and sexuality studies. She has thrived at Goucher in and out of the classroom, not only as a strong student, but also as a leader in the college's community.

"Chionque has deservedly been given a great honor to introduce President Barack Obama," said Goucher President José Antonio Bowen. "In her four years at Goucher College, she has committed her immense talents and considerable effort to pursuing her liberal arts education, with a focus on sociology and women's studies. But Chionque also has been dedicated in her pursuit of opportunities to be a leader in our dorms, through our student clubs, and within the Greater Baltimore community. We are all immensely proud of her achievements and know she will make the college proud before such eminent leaders and officials."

Chionque is scheduled to introduce President Obama at 11:45 a.m. EST, and he is scheduled to speak at 11:50 a.m. To follow the proceedings, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live. To learn more about Chionque, visit http://www.jkcf.org/chionque-mines/.

Goucher College is a selective, independent, coeducational institution dedicated to the interdisciplinary traditions of the liberal arts and a broad international perspective on education.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Because the Foundation believes that high-performing, low-income students will excel educationally when given the resources to develop their talents, the Foundation offers them support from middle school to graduate school by providing the largest scholarships in the country, in-depth academic counseling, and other direct services. The Foundation also provides grants to prominent organizations that support high performing, low-income students with innovative programming. Founded in 2000 by the estate of Jack Kent Cooke, the Foundation has awarded over $125 million in scholarships to 1,800 students and $79 million in grants. www.jkcf.org

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SOURCE Jack Kent Cooke Foundation