The John Cooper School Alumni Panel 2025
Former Dragons Return to Inspire Current Students
The John Cooper School Alumni and College Counseling Offices hosted its annual Alumni Panel, bringing nearly two dozen graduates back to campus to reconnect with Upper School students and faculty. This highly anticipated event provided current students with a unique opportunity to hear directly from alumni about their experiences as a student at Cooper, their universities, and beyond.
“The alumni panel is one of my favorite events on campus. We invite alumni from recently graduated classes to speak to our Upper School students on making the most of their student experience at Cooper, advice on applying to college, and how to prepare for college. It is such a great full-circle experience for our alumni and our students,” said Kalli Lovejoy, Assistant Director, Alumni Engagement.
Throughout the panel, alumni gave practical advice on topics such as getting involved in a variety of activities in high school, navigating the college application process, and adjusting to the challenges of higher education. The panelists emphasized the importance of time management, embracing opportunities, and exploring personal interests—all aimed at helping current students prepare for their next steps.
Andrew Kuntz ’23 reflected on how his time at Cooper shaped his problem-solving skills: “I feel like it really taught me to think analytically about a lot of the problems I face in engineering... such as looking at problems from different angles, how to go about solving something that requires multiple steps, and how to work through those efficiently.”
“The biggest value of a Cooper education is talking with your teachers because being able to go up to them during office hours and creating those relationships with them at Cooper really helped me do the same in college,” said Amy Tian ’23, now a student at Cornell University.
The Alumni Panels exemplify The John Cooper School’s dedication to fostering loyalty, commitment, and communication within its community. By encouraging personal and professional growth, the School aims to build a lasting tradition of involvement among alumni, students, and friends.
Alumni Panelist Kendall Cooper ‘23 shared that while an Upper School student at Cooper, she “found a group of friends that not only made [her] a better person but empowered [her] in a lot of different aspects of [her] life, and [she is] still connected with them today.”
“Trust yourself because you guys got this. You are all prepared. We have all been in your shoes and look at how well we are doing. You are going to find your place, you are going to find your people, so just trust yourself,” encouraged Isabella Schoenerr, ’23, while speaking to the Senior class.
The Alumni Panel serves as a vibrant reminder of Cooper’s alumni motto, “Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon,” celebrating the strong and enduring connection between Cooper and its graduates. This cherished annual tradition highlights The John Cooper School’s commitment to maintaining meaningful relationships with its alumni, who continue to inspire and give back to the next generation of Dragons.
The John Cooper School
From Curiosity to Wisdom
The John Cooper School is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational, college preparatory day school. Our mission is to provide a challenging education in a caring environment to a diverse group of select students, enabling them to become critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, responsible citizens and leaders, and lifelong learners.
The John Cooper School seeks to attract qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds to its faculty, staff, and student body. The School does not discriminate against any individual in admissions, educational programs, personnel policies, general practices, or employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, physical disability, or age.
The John Cooper School seeks to attract qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds to its faculty, staff, and student body. The School does not discriminate against any individual in admissions, educational programs, personnel policies, general practices, or employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, physical disability, or age.
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