Grace Cooper, first four-time class president, graduates with plans for shaping the future
This weekend, Grace Cooper will be crossing the UNC Charlotte graduation stage multiple times, and it’s not the first time she has been there. Cooper is wrapping up her year as Senior Class President in the Student Government Association, after also being elected as class president for her freshman, sophomore and junior years. Cooper is the first student at UNC Charlotte to serve as a four-time class president.
On stage this May, Cooper is a graduate herself, with a double major in political science and economics and a minor in legal studies, graduating summa cum laude with honors as a member of both the University and Political Science honors programs. She will attend all three undergraduate commencement ceremonies and lead her peers in the traditional turning of the tassel.
As a student in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences and the Belk College of Business, Coopers’ calendar has been booked and busy during her time as a student at Charlotte, filled with involvement from Alpha Chi Omega to SGA and serving her fellow students. Cooper participated in every opportunity she could find, including taking the Inside Washington Seminar course, participating in the 2024 Alternative Spring Break to Charleston, South Carolina and traveling to Washington D.C. as a finalist for the national Truman Scholarship.
Through her Honors College research and serving others, Cooper spent significant time bringing awareness to a topic that’s important to her.
“In my freshman year, I noticed there was a need for more mental health awareness on campus and within the Charlotte community. I recognized the need for creating a campus environment that fosters growth and helps students achieve their highest possibilities and helps them become the best versions of themselves,” said Cooper.
To promote that supportive community, Cooper brought the national “Out of the Darkness” walk to campus to promote suicide prevention and partnered with campus organizations to host a “Wellbeing Block Party” with more than 40 vendors.
The Intersection of Mental Health and the Law
Focused on the intersection of mental health and legal policies in society, Cooper is passionate about serving her community by ushering people through the criminal justice system in supportive ways. Cooper wanted to study law from a young age, but after personal events, she became aware of how much legal policies can impact mental health. She has interned and worked at criminal defense law firms since her freshman year and feels called to help connect people to supportive mental health resources when they’re in need.
Cooper worked with clients at the law firm and realized “concerning words would come up” that indicated people were experiencing stress and difficulties over the uncertainty of outcomes they and their families may be facing.
“I didn’t feel comfortable not giving them something, like connecting them to counseling centers in the legal field. In criminal defense, they might be anticipating the worst possible outcome, and it’s a fear people have. They need help, it’s often the hardest point in their lives,” said Cooper.
“There needs to be implementations of alternative dispute resolutions — you’re worried about possible outcomes, and it’s such a long process — it can take a toll on an individual’s mental health. We need to connect the mental health and legal field together, and they should be looked at as interdisciplinary.”
This spring, Cooper defended her Honors Thesis “Public Policies Affecting Suicide Rates” and also had the opportunity to present her research at the Southern Regional Honors Council conference with the Honors College.
Law School and Life-long learning
Cooper is currently studying for the LSAT exam for law school applications, and would love to attend law school. For her career goals, Cooper plans to make strides on legal policy reform to provide support for disproportionately affected communities.
“Going to law school has been a plan of mine for a long time, as it’s one of the first steps to being able to accomplish my goal of connecting the legal and mental health field,” said Cooper.
“I don’t want to be a stereotypical lawyer people sometimes think of — someone who has no feelings. Instead I want people to think of someone who can help them, who can assist them,” said Cooper.
She believes in education and life-long learning as a path to service, which is a devotion instilled in Cooper by her father. “My dad always said to me that ‘even when you’re not a student, you’re still a student for life.’ That was a philosophy I want to live by, being a student for life after I graduate and always learning,” said Cooper.
“If I can learn as much as I can and become as knowledgeable as I can, I can support the people in my community at a higher level and dedicate myself to them more. I want to see change, and I want to support and give to my community, and help the people around me.”
Story by Jenn Conway, director of communications. Photography by Amy Hart, Kat Lawrence and courtesy of Grace Cooper.