Cerritos College student wins $40k per year scholarship

NORWALK >> Alejandra Carranza, a Cerritos College honors student, has been named among the nation’s top scholars by one of the most competitive undergraduate transfer scholarship programs in the country.

Carranza of Huntington Park was among 75 students in the U.S. to receive up to $40,000 a year to finish her bachelor’s degree from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Program.

Fruit fly research

Carranza’s science pathway began last summer when she participated in the Bridges to Baccalaureate program at Cal State Long Beach, where she investigated the effect of lead on the development of fruit flies.

Carranza has presented her research results at several national undergraduate research conferences.

Physician plans

Carranza plans to continue her undergraduate education at UCLA in neuroscience and eventually complete a Ph.D. to work as a physician or surgeon. Carranza believes doctors are desperately needed in the Latino community.

“I have seen firsthand the dire need in the Hispanic community for physicians who are culturally sensitive and dedicated to serving underinsured and marginalized communities with the same standard of care provided elsewhere,” Alejandra said in a press statement.

“I want to set a positive example for my 2-year-old daughter, Audrey, to follow in the future as well as other women pursuing careers in STEM or medicine.”