This spring, Cedar Crest College named Sydnee Cooper of Northampton, PA, as the winner of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship. Cooper had competed against dozens of high school students at the 12th Annual Scholarship Competition Experience held in January 2021.
Cooper was among more than 100 high school students from 14 different states that took a three-hour exam covering the arts, mathematics, science, writing and the humanities during the event. The top 25 finishers were recognized at a virtual recognition ceremony on January 23, with Cooper and four other finalists moving on to the interview portion of the competition. A few months later, Cedar Crest President Dr. Elizabeth M. Meade called Cooper to tell her she had been named the winner.
“I cried, my mom cried and my family cried. It was not only a deal huge for me, but for my entire family,” says Cooper, who is a first-generation college student.
Cooper shares that she experienced poverty and homelessness growing up, and, prior to winning the competition, she had been unsure if a four-year college education was in her future. When her best friend told her she planned to attend Cedar Crest, Cooper decided to apply.
“I didn’t really know what I was going to do [about college],” she says. “Then I applied here and was told I was eligible for the competition. I don’t come from a very well-to-do family, and so the idea was that if I did not win the competition, I would go to community college. I couldn’t afford to not win it.”
Cooper graduated this spring from Northampton Area High School. There, she participated in National Honor Society and served as a business crew manager in drama club. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at the food bank her father runs at her family’s church.
Now a freshman at Cedar Crest College, Cooper studies secondary education and has plans to add a second major in mathematics. She has continued her involvement in theatre — working behind the scenes as a technical assistant with the Performing Arts Department. Most recently, she helped decorate the set for Cedar Crest’s production of “Dracula” in October.
“I am so happy with my decision to come to Cedar Crest because I love campus life. The community is so small, and I love being at a women’s college,” she says.
Cooper is enjoying her classes, her work and her newfound independence living away from home. Her favorite courses include Survey of British Literature and her first-year seminar, Women in Popular Music, and she is excited to begin her teaching field experiences.
“I’m looking forward to gaining the skills I need to be a math teacher,” says Cooper. Each year, Cedar Crest education students enroll in field experiences that target various disciplines and settings in education. By the time student teaching begins in the fall or spring of their final year, students will already have completed four field experiences and built a high level of confidence and classroom management skills.
“This [scholarship] is such an incredible opportunity,” Cooper concludes. “When we got the call, it set in that I would actually get to go to college, and I would be able to pursue the career I want to do.”
The annual Scholarship Competition aims to give high-achieving students a chance to experience Cedar Crest College’s mission of educating future leaders through scholarship, global connectivity, wellness and service. For more information, please visit www.cedarcrest.edu, or contact the Admissions Office at 610-740-3780.