Graduation…then what? For seniors in high school and college, graduation is the ultimate punctuation mark on a portion of their academic career and the natural closing of a chapter. But what comes afterwards? The next chapter our graduates will write will be about their new beginnings, whether that is in a professional career, in their postsecondary education journey or in their opportunities to make a continued commitment to Meliora, finding ways to make the world ever better. We want to take some time to celebrate our Kearns Center affiliated seniors on all their achievements and share what their education has meant to them and the ways in which the Kearns Center has impacted their lives. This series will highlight several seniors in our programs at the Kearns Center who are ready for their next chapter.

Introducing: HS Senior, Kerel Cooper
Program: Upward Bound
School: East High School
Next Chapter: Attending St. John Fisher University

East High School senior Kerel Cooper is graduating later this month and has plans to attend St. John Fisher University in the fall. “I am pretty excited to finally be graduating and starting my next chapter” Cooper says. “Even though I am excited I also feel nervous and sad to leave the school I’ve been at for the past six years with the students and teachers I have created many memories with.”

Going to college has been a huge goal of Cooper’s, and as a first-generation student, he had questions of where to even start. “Starting off in my college applying process I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I would even go for - just that I knew I wanted to be a college student. I did have an idea of what I wanted to do and that was work with our youth” Cooper says. “That helped me decide on Fisher because of their variety of majors that can take you down that path along with their first-generation scholarship which would allow me to volunteer in schools.” Cooper was awarded the First-Generation Scholarship by Fisher, which provides financial aid and academic assistance to high school students who will be the first in their family to earn a college degree and who ‘exhibit a high degree of motivation and academic potential.’ “Attending college as a first-generation student means a lot to me” says Cooper, adding that he feels a huge sense of accomplishment and acknowledging that he has had to push past some barriers along the way. Cooper was also awarded the Fisher Urban Scholar Award which is available to any high school student who lives in the City of Rochester and enrolls at Fisher as a first-year student.  With those two scholarships combined, most of the financial burden of tuition, room and board is covered for Cooper over the course of four years.

The First-Generation scholarship has several program requirements for students who receive it, including completing a Community Engagement Seminar their first year and participating in community engagement with a local nonprofit organization during their last three years. Cooper says the community engagement piece of the scholarship is something that fit so well with his plans for the future: to give back to the community and find a career that would encompass his passions of working with kids and sports. “My goal for the future is finding a major [in college] that would help me live a stable life while also helping out the youth of our city and a job that follows behind it - allowing me to potentially start my coaching career,” said Cooper.

Cooper credits the Upward Bound program, part of the Kearns Center pre-college programs, for helping him apply to and get into college. Upward Bound offers academic programs and educational opportunities to help prepare students for the college application process while also providing them with access to an academic coach who can help guide them every step of the way. Cooper says he wanted to learn more about the Upward Bound program and joined when he was in the tenth grade. “I walked into the center with my friend who was already a part of the program, and it made me curious about what the program was about and how I could benefit from it.” Cooper says the program provided him with new learning experiences and life skills that he is forever grateful for. “This program has impacted my life by giving me opportunities, experiences, and even lectures that took part in making me the person I am today. This impacted my life by making my time here at East [High School] easier.”

"Kerel was my first student as an Upward Bound advisor a little over two years ago” says Kearns Center Pre-College programs academic coach Michael Conley, who works at the college prep center at East High School. “His academic growth and personal development are a testament to his character and the value of the Upward Bound program. With over a dozen college acceptances, and hundreds of thousands in scholarship offers, Kerel serves as a role model to his peers." Cooper says he is grateful for Conley’s guidance and will forever have fond memories of the Upward Bound program. “One thing I will always remember about my time spent in this program is the amount of doors of opportunity and success Mr. Conley has opened up for me, mentoring me through majority of my high school career while also helping me jumpstart my college career.” 

In addition to being part of the Upward Bound program, Cooper is a student athlete and recently had an internship working with first grade students at Henry Hudson School No. 28.

“Working with them taught me how to communicate with a diverse group of kids and gave me a better understanding on how I want to help the next generation” Copper explained.   

As Cooper gets ready to walk across the stage and get his high school diploma, he is already thinking about what comes next. “My plan for after graduation is to get myself as ready financially, mentally, and physically for this next chapter of my life.” For students who will be seniors next year and who will be graduating and writing their next chapters, Cooper had this advice: “Even if you lose motivation because the finish line is right there - don’t give up because it’s not over until you pass that line.”

Read more about the next chapters for our graduating seniors in our 2024 “Celebrating our Seniors” series. What is your next chapter? Share it with us, using #URKearnsNextChapter.