CEI grad earns prestigious scholarship and acceptance to Stanford

IDAHO FALLS — Gabe Clark of Idaho Falls sees a world of possibilities at his fingertips.

The College of Eastern Idaho graduate learned on his graduation day last week that he has been awarded the highly-competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. As part of that — his dream of attending Stanford University in California has also become a reality.

“Actually, I was asleep,” he told EastIdahoNews.com. “And I got a call from my professor that wrote one of the letters of recommendation for me … she calls me and yells over the phone, ‘Congratulations!'”

More than 1,700 students applied for the scholarship this year. It’s awarded by The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The foundation “is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need,” according to its website.

In the past, recipients have gone to top-ranked institutions like Harvard, Brown, UCLA and more. For Clark, the choice was “always” Stanford.

Humble beginnings

The journey from Idaho Falls to San Francisco, California was a long one for Clark.

When he graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 2019, attending any sort of college was the furthest thing from his mind.

“I barely graduated. I actually graduated with a 2.4 GPA,” he admits. “I didn’t have any perspective or insight that I would be here today, going to Stanford. I was in high school just to get through high school … I was very, very reserved. I didn’t feel like I had a future.”

Although he had been accepted at the University of Idaho, he decided at the last minute not to go. He started working at the Aquatics Center in Idaho Falls and took a gap year. He took the time to find himself “outside of the high school atmosphere.”

“For some people, gap years aren’t the best, but for me it was very, very valuable,” Clark says. “I did find myself. I found a semblance of my voice and a sense of purpose.”

Leaving his tough high school experiences behind, he decided to to give CEI a shot. The Aquatics Center (where he worked) was closed due to COVID, and he had some financial assistance at his disposal.

“I decided, ‘Why not?'”

Becoming a learner

Clark said he isn’t sure if it was knowing he’d lose his financial assistance if he didn’t do well, or if what he learned about himself during his gap year made the difference, but something changed when he began attending CEI.

“My first semester, I got straight A’s,” he recalls. “Coming from a 2.4 GPA in high school, that was a very, very big jump.”

One of his professors, Jill Kirkham, recognized Clark’s potential. After his final presentation for her political science class, Kirkham pulled him aside, he remembers.

“She said, ‘Gabe, you did great. You were eloquent, you spoke very well. Why didn’t you speak up more in class? You have so much potential.’ That definitely felt like she cared for me,” Clark says, “and that the institution cared for me.”

“I am often telling my class that there is a difference between just being a student (externally motivated) and a lifelong learner (internally motivated). I saw Gabe make this transformation,” Kirkham told EastIdahoNews.com in a written statement.

Making an impact

Because he felt like CEI was invested in him, Clark spent the rest of his time there investing in the college. He helped start CEI’s first-ever debate team and he got involved in student government. He also became a student ambassador, traveling to local schools and telling students about the opportunities at CEI.

“During his time at CEI, he continually sought out new experiences, opportunities and pushed past the complacency of comfort,” Kirkham said. Clark, she said, reminds her of the quote ‘Knowledge weighs nothing, carry all that you can.’

“I started to feel impact. I was doing things that actually had impact … and it felt different,” Clark said enthusiastically. “It felt rejuvenating, almost. I found this drive, and I don’t think I would have had that drive if it hadn’t been for the College of Eastern Idaho instilling that in me.”

Clark says he sees a future for himself now, thanks to his experience at CEI and his professors who believed in him – especially Kirkham and Jeff Carr, the executive director of the Museum of Idaho who encouraged Clark through the scholarship application process.

“They have – from the beginning – always had faith in me. And that allowed me to have faith in myself. I have this love for life and love for education that I never had before,” Clark said.

Kirkham couldn’t be prouder of her former student. “He (sees) how all learning is interconnected. As an educator, I am so proud of the learner he has become.”

Anything is possible

Clark will start classes at Stanford in the fall. He’s majoring in political science and wants to practice law or go into politics. He wants to continue making an impact, he said.

Clark wants to encourage anyone who finds themselves in the same place he was to attend a community college. Not only does it make sense financially, it could very well be just what you need to further your dreams. As he prepares for life as an university student, he has this advice for those reaching toward “impossible” goals:

“No matter where you go or where you’re from, you always have opportunities. A lot of things in life are competitive. But if you have motivation and conviction and are driven, it’s possible. If you apply yourself 100 percent, it is possible — regardless of where you’re from.”