What is Coppin?

Hi, my name is Janel Harris. I am the admissions counselor here at the great Coppin State University. What is Coppin?

What is Coppin? That's a good question--

Coppin is an opportunity for people to, in a way, cut through some of their own concerns about their life. A way for them to cut through their own limitations and find some success.

Coppin is love. Coppin is progression. Coppin is dignity. Coppin is tradition. Coppin is the foundation for much of what many people in Baltimore learn.

One of the things that I'm proudest about at Coppin is that the students who get out of here do exceptionally well.

There are many more students that go to other institutions that get their education, and leave the state, the city--

Our students, who graduate, usually come right back into this community to give up their services and their skills and their talents. And that's what is important, I think, for this community.

We have a direct drive into the economic stream of Baltimore, into the state. All of the talent that people come here, all of the skills that they learn, all of their education-- they get an opportunity to pour that back.

It's hard to go any place in Maryland without running into somebody from Coppin, who is very successful. Somebody who's in state government, somebody who has their own business, somebody who's in grad school, somebody who's teaching, and they're all happy with the education they got and the opportunities that is provided for them.

Coppin has been a part of my life since I was at least six or seven years old.

People that love Coppin all say it-- it gets in your blood. Coppin grabs a hold of you and you don't leave.

Coppin is an opportunity.

A person comes to Coppin once they kind of cut through their own inhibitions they can go on to bigger and bigger things.

In 14 years of being on this campus, I have earned degrees and I've gone from a temporary employee to a director of a program.

My first encounter with Coppin was with Coppin State students, who mentored me when I was in the fourth or fifth grade. I enrolled after high school, and I've been here ever since. So now that I am an employee in the Office of Admissions, it just means that much more to me to carry on the traditions.

And we're unique-- And we're unique in the delivery of our services. We have students that parents never finish school. And because the student is coming in the student goes home and tells about the wonderful experience, we have parents that are taking classes with their students.

It's very important that we embrace the students. They come to us as they are. Some of them may be more advanced than others. And some of them may need more help than others. Our job is to accept them where they are and take them to where they need to be.

I was going through a lot just trying to apply without understanding how the process even went. So coming to Coppin actually have no staff members that I can really like lean on for actual support, with them showing me that respect, like I'm an adult, it made the experience worthwhile.

That's why I don't care where students come from, or the student is. I've showed them the Coppin love all the time. Even when they mess up.

We become that, now role model, or that figure-- that authoritative figure in their lives, who really shaped their future when they come back. And they say thank you. They say to me, Ms. Harris, you helped me in the fact that they call me by my name and they know me, lets me know that I must have had some kind of positive impact.

Take pride in your accomplishments. You are fortunate. You are blessed. You are leaders. Through you Coppin's legacy will live on.