June 15, 2026
Just days after graduation from 91福利, Diego Sosa Vazquez was awarded the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, one of only two Mississippi students this year. He was also accepted to Yale University, a dream school now within reach thanks to the scholarship.
Transfer admission to Yale is highly competitive. More than 1,900 students applied, but only 10 community college students made the cut.
Sosa鈥檚 mother studied law in Mexico before emigrating to the United States. She set an expectation that he would pursue higher education. His cousins, Kim Sosa and Marisol Cano, both attended PRCC before him.
Sosa quickly became involved on campus. He served as President of both the Forrest County Campus Student Government Association and the History and Humanities Club. This past year, he served as Vice President of the Beta Tau Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and a regional officer for the Mississippi-Louisiana Region.
鈥淚n only two years, PRCC was able to aid me in building the foundation of who I wanted to become,鈥� said Sosa. 鈥淚t allowed me the freedom to decide what things mattered short-term and what things were worth pursuing long-term.鈥�
While taking an introductory philosophy course, Sosa realized the focus was exclusively on Western Europe. It became the catalyst for seeking out an independent study format that would honor his Latin American heritage.
Guided by Dr. Ryan Ruckel, Dean of the Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute (FCC), Sosa designed a custom course focused on the philosophy of Mexican racial identity and its historical development. The concept, known as 鈥榤estizaje,鈥� examines the creation of a new identity and culture through the racial mixing of Indigenous peoples and Spanish colonists in Mexico. The course included multiple research projects and papers, an experience for which he is extremely grateful.
鈥淲e can sometimes offer the Special Problems in History and Social Science course (HIS 2813) for students who want to undertake a capstone-style project they could carry with them to the honors program at a university or, in Diego’s case, to Yale,鈥� said Dr. Ryan Ruckel. 鈥淗e worked with me to develop his own syllabus with a reading schedule and assignments, including drafts, poster presentations at conferences, and an annotated bibliography, with the goal of submitting a polished product to the National Collegiate Honors Council Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (UReCA). We were able to talk about this special project in his applications to Ivy League schools and for the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship, so we’re very grateful to Pearl River administration for letting us offer the course, which undoubtedly set him apart from other applicants.
“He’s an excellent young man, a gifted scholar, and a joy to work with. Pearl River and the Honors Institute have made this life-changing educational moment possible, and I’m very grateful to be a part of it.鈥�
His projects were submitted to the Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute Symposium, the Mississippi Honors Conference, and The University of Southern Mississippi鈥檚 Undergraduate Symposium on Research and Creative Activity, where he was the only community college presenter. His final paper, 鈥楳茅xico after Mestizaje: Synthesis, Suppression, and the Problem of Cultural Sovereignty,鈥� is being polished for submission to UReCA: The National Collegiate Honors Council Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity.
Sosa wrote, “Drawing on the works of Jos茅 Mart铆, Leopoldo Zea, and Jos茅 Vasconcelos, alongside critics such as Guillermo Bonfil Batalla and Frantz Fanon, the paper argues that Mexico has yet to achieve true cultural sovereignty. Instead, national identity has been constructed through a framework that absorbs Indigenous identity into a Eurocentric model while rendering alternative epistemologies invisible.”
Sosa advocates expanding the independent-study option so curious, driven students have a place to pursue deeper questions. He encourages all students to find and pursue their passions.
鈥淓xplore your genuine interests and hobbies with breadth and depth, wherever they might lead you,鈥� said Sosa. 鈥淭he best way to guarantee success is to earn it.鈥�
This year, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation received more than 1,300 applications for the highly competitive scholarship. Only five students from Mississippi community colleges were semifinalists, including two from PRCC. A total of 60 Cooke Scholars from 23 states were selected from 465 semifinalists.
Recipients can receive up to $55,000 per year for two to three years at an accredited four-year undergraduate institution in any field of study. Cooke Scholars receive comprehensive advising to guide them through the transition to a four-year college and preparation for a career. Additionally, they receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, graduate school funding, and access to a network of Cooke Scholars and alumni.
Dr. Terri Ruckel, Instructor of English and a Phi Theta Kappa Beta Tau Gamma Chapter Advisor, also serves as PRCC鈥檚 primary point of contact for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. As one of five JKC representatives in Mississippi, she provides application information, including deadlines, recruitment, and student support. Dr. Terri Ruckel works with Dr. Jennifer Seal and Dr. Ryan Ruckel, Deans of the Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute, to recruit qualified students at Pearl River.
鈥淚 am so proud of Diego,鈥� said Dr. Terri Ruckel. 鈥淗e has earned this prestigious scholarship with great perseverance after overcoming daunting odds and many personal obstacles. His success story is exactly the kind that many of our students write while at our institution, and I am very honored to have served as one of his mentors.鈥�
The Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship expands Sosa鈥檚 options and makes Yale financially possible. After earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in philosophy there, he will seek admission to a top law school with an eye on human rights law.
鈥淏eing a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar means having access,鈥� said Sosa. 鈥淎ccess to resources, schools, and communities that would otherwise be close to impossible to reach. Not only for me, but for my family鈥攁n academic legacy that extends to future generations. This scholarship has allowed me to materialize the plan that I have always had, and for that, I am thankful.鈥�
Previous Recipients
Sosa is the 10th PRCC student to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship in the past 13 years. Other recipients from Pearl River include:
Trevor Creighton (2014): Columbia University, Creative Writing (plus $200,000 JKC Graduate Scholarship to Harvard in Higher Education administration)
Rachael Carraro (2017): Mississippi State University, Landscape Architecture
Said Otwane (2018): Columbia University, Computer Engineering (plus $200,000 JKC Graduate Scholarship; currently undecided)
Savannah Barnes (2020): University of Mississippi, Multidisciplinary Studies, Korean, TESOL
Riley Cleveland (2021): Mississippi State University, Elementary Education
Kyle Simpson (2021): University of Michigan, Psychology
Quindalin Harper (2021): University of Mississippi, Psychology (Psychiatric Medicine)
Hanna Lambert (2022): Mississippi State University, Veterinary Science
Naomi Williamson (2025): University of Mississippi, Criminal Justice
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Article by Laura O’Neill. Photography by Cullin A. Rogers
