A recent Montgomery County Community College graduate just had his dream of completing a bachelor’s degree debt free come step closer, after he was recently named the recipient of a distinguished national scholarship.

Mechanical Engineering graduate Joshu'wa Reid, of Lansdale, was awarded the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, receiving up to $55,000 annually for up to three years to complete his bachelor's degree.

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is “a highly selective scholarship for the nation’s top community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities,” according to its website. “Each Cooke scholar has access to generous financial support for two to three years, college planning support, ongoing advising, and the opportunity to connect with the thriving community of fellow scholars.”

Reid was one of only 90 scholars from a semifinalist pool of 467 students to receive the scholarship. In total, more than 1,600 students applied. Both Reid and Psychology recent graduate Dani Arcos Narvaez, a native of Ecuador, who currently lives in Norristown, were selected as semi-finalists. Only three students were selected from Pennsylvania.

Reid received his associate’s degree in Mechanical Engineering May 15 during MCCC’s 58^th Commencement ceremonies, where he was recognized by MCCC President Dr. Vicki Bastecki-Perez. He plans to transfer to The Georgia Institute of Technology to major in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Quantum Sciences and Technology.

“It’s a game-changer for sure,” said Reid on the award. “The financial aspect has always been the main thing when deciding on where to go to school. This award eliminates any worry and thought. I don’t have to think about debt. It makes it a lot easier to investigate other colleges. It puts less stress on me as well. It’s a great thing, a great opportunity and I’m really happy.”

This is the second year in a row an MCCC student received the distinguished scholarship. In 2024, Mechanical Engineering graduate My Ly, of Telford, was named a recipient.

Reid, 20, is a 2023 graduate of North Penn High School. Raised by a single mother, he wasn’t always sure college was in the cards for him for financial reasons but chose to enroll at MCCC in the fall of 2023.

The following year, he was selected from 1,500 applicants nationwide to receive the Coca-Cola Leader of Promise Scholarship, based on outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential. The award recognizes 200 Phi Theta Kappa members with awards totaling $200,000. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges.

As a student, Reid was heavily involved in extracurricular activities on campus. He joined PTK in the spring of 2024 and was a member of the Honors Club, where he’s spent several hours volunteering his time at Rose Bridge Farm and Sanctuary, in Dresher. Additionally, he was a student ambassador, which he said helped him to learn more about the College and break out of his shell socially. He was also elected Student Government Association treasurer and was a student worker in the Admissions Office.

Additionally, Reid participated in an independent study with Gayathri Moorthy, Ph.D., Engineering Assistant Professor, exploring the properties of nanoparticles for varied applications. It involved detailed theoretical study, performing hands-on experiments at MCCC, and remotely collaborating with Penn State University to use some of its specialized nanotechnology equipment.

“It kept expanding and expanding,” Reid said on the independent study. “It began with simple experiments to demonstrate nanofabrication concepts outside of a cleanroom setting. From there, it evolved into research in the area of Quantum Information Science. I have presented my work to peers, faculty, and administrators at MCCC, as well as at an external undergraduate research conference."

“I got the opportunity to work with different STEM departments and learn new techniques and operate specialized tools, one of the most valuable being the Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer from Biotechnology Department,” he continued.

In 2024, Reid attended a workshop on “Semiconductor Processing and Integrated Photonics” at Penn State. He was introduced to the concepts of nanotechnology and many of the tools used in the analysis and characterization of nanomaterials.

The Engineering Department at MCCC has collaborated closely with Penn State’s Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization (CNEU) on a number of initiatives over the years.

The “Semiconductor Processing and Integrated Photonics” workshop is a result of a collaboration between MCCC and Penn State. As part of this, every summer, four or five MCCC students will be awarded a full scholarship to attend a one-week workshop at Penn State to introduce and educate them in the rapidly expanding fields of semiconductors and integrated photonics, and provide career-related advice in these new, cutting-edge areas. The scholarship is funded by a National Science Foundation grant led by Penn State, with MCCC participating as a partner institution.

It was through MCCC’s partnership with Penn State that Reid said he developed a passion for quantum mechanics, which he plans to explore further at Georgia Tech.

“That’s one of the fields I want to continue to pursue,” he said. “I’m confident in the career I want to have. I’ve always wanted to work in engineering, but I want to push the boundaries. That’s a really good field that's still very young and trying to be developed. It’s a field I can get into now and be at the right spot to help it become obtainable in society.”

As he leaves MCCC with a bright future ahead, Reid said it feels bittersweet to say goodbye.

“I appreciate all the support I’ve received,” he said. “I hope that I was a good example of what you can do at Montco. My message to others is to make sure you know who you are and use your personality to pave your path at Montco.”