By Jen Clancey DIGITAL PRODUCER
After workshopping, editing essays, interviewing during the summer months and awaiting a decision, Gabi Tinoco received an email from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation in September, learning he was 43 of the students selected out of 800 applicants for the Cooke Young Scholars program.
Tinoco is an eighth grade student at Ophir Middle School and has attended Big Sky schools his whole life. The Cooke Young Scholars program is described on the foundation’s website as “a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for high-performing 7th grade students.”
The program will connect Tinoco with “comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for school, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.”
Big Sky teachers helped workshop Tinoco’s essays to support his application process. “I’d just like to thank Ms. Rowley, Ms. Martinez and my teachers at school and the school in general for helping me with the application and everything else,” Tinoco told EBS in an interview.
In an essay for his application, Tinoco highlighted his hobby of origami—folding structures that resemble elk and scorpions.
“A couple years back, I was trying to fold this really complicated tarantula, and I tried to have it by the end of the summer, because I was really, really into origami,” Tinoco said about the lesson learned from the practice. “And I was just trying and I wasn’t able to. I was kind of rushing to do it but the point was that I had to slowly reach my goals. I can’t rush that.”
Outside of origami, Tinoco likes to ski, paint and draw.
Principal Marlo Mitchem was excited when she heard the news about Tinoco’s achievement. “I am thrilled Gabi was chosen for the Cooke Young Scholars program. I know he will capitalize on this opportunity,” Dr. Mitchem wrote in an email to EBS.
In the classroom, Dr. Mitchem noted his skills in “academic and analytical” thinking.
When he spoke with EBS, Tinoco had just come from an online meeting with the entire cohort of young scholars and a second meeting where all current Hispanic young scholars offered advice on navigating and taking advantage of the program.
With the award, Tinoco can explore academic and extracurricular experiences like music and art lessons or supplemental academic classes.
Samantha Suazo, from Lone Peak High School’s class of 2022, was the first young student from Big Sky to be chosen by the organization; she won a four-year college scholarship. She is in her second year at Yale University.
Goals for the near future
Tinoco described his interest in writing and painting more. He also has some big plans for his next collection of origami: large mammals.
“I’ve been making my own paper and coloring it,” Tinoco said. “I want to focus on mammals. I saw a really cool elephant, and I want to [construct] big mammals.”
Tinoco finished the interview by thanking teachers and the school again for supporting him as he applied.
