San José City College has reason to celebrate. Two students — Ganna Zgama and Owen Trelles — have been named semi-finalists for the 2026 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a nationally recognized award that supports high-achieving community college students with financial need as they pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Ganna Zgama arrived at SJCC speaking English as a third language. A native of Ukraine, she brought with her a background in music and art — and a drive to reinvent herself in a new country. She dove headfirst into the college’s communications and graphic design programs, and it didn’t take long for her talent to find an audience.
As a social media intern with SJCC’s marketing team, Ganna helped shape how the college shows up online — creating content that actually connected with students. She went on to launch Take A Paws, an SJCC podcast she produces and directs, which won a Gold Award at the 13th Annual National EDMAwards.
Her work caught the attention of Santa Clara County, where she contributed to a youth voter engagement campaign, and eventually led to a role as a communications intern — and later a full Digital Communications Specialist — for the City of San José. Along the way, she completed coursework at Stanford University and stacked up certifications in AI-driven marketing. All of this while still finishing her associate’s degree at SJCC.
Owen Trelles is the kind of student whose story makes you stop and think about what perseverance really looks like.
When Owen first arrived at SJCC, he enrolled in the noncredit program — attending college classes in the mornings and GED preparation courses through Adult Education in the evenings, all while working 40 hours a week. It was a grueling schedule, but he never wavered. He stayed focused, made progress, and earned his way into credit coursework.
Today, Owen is studying Economics with plans to transfer to a University of California campus. He serves as Treasurer of the ALMASS Club and is a steady, trusted presence at the Dreamer Resource Center, where he shows up not just for himself, but for students who are walking the same road he once walked. Those who work alongside him describe him the same way: humble, hardworking, and genuinely invested in helping others succeed.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship offers up to $55,000 per year to help students cover tuition, housing, books, and related costs. It is among the most competitive scholarships available to community college students, and reaching the semi-finalist stage is a distinction that puts Ganna and Owen in rare company.
Their journeys are different, but they share something important — a refusal to let circumstances define what’s possible.
SJCC is proud to call both of them Jaguars. Congratulate Ganna and Owen when you see them. They’ve earned it.
