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Victoria Cooper '12 |
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Cooper was recently inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She is shown here with the president of R-MC's PBK Chapter,
Psychology Professor Susan Parker. |
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5/14/12 Randolph-Macon College student
Victoria Cooper ’12 is proof positive that the sky’s the limit when it comes to college life. Cooper, a
computer science major with minors in
English literature and
studio art, is a
scholarship recipient, a volunteer and an artist. And that’s just scratching the surface.
Macon Memories The Newport News, Virginia native says her most cherished R-MC memories are the “little ones”—hanging out with friends at Ashland Coffee and Tea, watching movies, or just walking around campus.
“I think years from now, when I think back on my experiences at R-MC, I will remember classes, my relationships with my professors, and spending time with my friends,” says Cooper.
Award Winner A dedicated student, Cooper’s hard work has been duly noted. She is a member of
Phi Beta Kappa, the
Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society and Sigma Tau Delta, an English Honor Society. She is the recipient of four scholarships, and in 2010 she received the Douglas W. Foard Phi Beta Kappa Award, which is awarded to juniors who finish their sophomore years with a strong GPA. She has also made the Dean’s List all four years of her college career.
Hands-on Experience In 2010, Cooper participated in an
internship at Integra Realty Resources (IRR) in Fort Worth, Texas.
“The staff in
R-MC’s Center for Personal and Career Development were wonderful in helping me polish my résumé and cover letter,” recalls Cooper. “After a series of interviews and e-mail exchanges, I got the internship.” Cooper organized the IRR office, copied documents and ran errands.
In 2011, she participated in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Cooper, working alongside REU undergraduate and graduate students, worked in a game lab.
“Our goal was to help design educational games,” she explains. “The project I worked on is called Bug Bots, and the goal of the game is to teach children computer science concepts. Our team worked on making the game visually appealing.”
Artistic Endeavors In her free time, Cooper taps into her artistic side.
“I took a painting class at R-MC and fell in love with oils,” she says. “Currently, I am taking a senior capstone project class with Professor Ray Berry. I’m working on portraits and I really enjoy doing them. I am fascinated by the challenge they pose and get absorbed in the painting, sometimes making my models—friends of mine—sit for an hour and half at a time.”
Future Plans Cooper was recently accepted into the Computer Science Graduate Program at William and Mary.
“W&M gave me a teaching assistantship, and they gave me a fellowship for my first two years,” she says. “The fellowship award is sponsored by the Arts & Sciences Graduate Studies Advisory Board at W&M. The Computer Science Department is allowed just one nomination each year and they picked me. They’re also paying my tuition. I’m excited—and a little nervous—about starting grad school. It will be great to explore new areas of computer science. As for a career, I want to teach, ideally at the college level. I’ll see where life takes me.”
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