History alumnus establishes nonprofit for at-risk youth
During his four years atWooster, James Cooper ’08 was a standout basketball player, scoring over 2,000 points in his career as a Fighting Scot and⾱Բprofessionally for a year in Germany after graduation.Unfortunately, it was a tragedy after returning to his hometown Springfield,Ohio,that eventuallyconvinced Cooper todedicate his life to the community he grew up in.“I always wanted to give backin some way, butwhat made me really go for it was when my brother was shot and killed in Springfield almost seven years ago,” Cooper said.After going through athree-yeardepression, Cooper was motivated to live for himself and his brother.“My plan was to give back and help other people who grew up how we grew up, and give them hope,” he said.
Cooper explainedthatDzkids who grow up in Springfielddzfrom broken homes and are surrounded by drugs and violence, with nogroups to support them. Having worked with nonprofits for several years, Cooper decided to start one himself. “Brakethe Cyclea program centeredon mentorship and life coaching to support young men andhelpthem graduate tosomething besides prison or an early grave,” he said. Established in November 2020,the structure ofBrake the Cycleincludes adult mentors, called game changers,ɳwork with20-25students in8th to 12th grade, called scouts. The scouts also meet with Cooperone-on-one eachweek to develop progress reports and set goals.Due to the coronavirus pandemic,Brakethe Cycle started out differently than expected. “Our goal was to build and use our own facilities, but we couldn’t because ofCOVID-19.We were still able to have our first meeting after the New Year,” Cooper said.The program covers topicslikesafe sex, drug use,social media etiquette, and career planning, which Cooper pulls from his own experience at Wooster. “Myparents were high school dropouts and didn’t teach meabout internships,” he said,“soI can sharemy own experiences and set the kids up for success.”
Cooper, who was inducted intothe W Association Hall of Fame in 2018, described his time at Wooster as “life changing” because it was firsttimehe lived in a stable environmentthatgave him a distraction.“Living in Wooster showed me that it waspossible to live a positive peaceful life,” he said.“For me,it wasbasketballthattook me away from the chaos and drama of my home life.”Cooper creditedthe mentorship offormer men’s basketball head coach, Steve Moore. “Coach Moore was the best coach I ever played for,” Cooper said.“He taught me how to carry myself both on and off the court.”Additionally, completinganIndependent Study in the history departmentwas Cooper’s most influential academic experience. “I learned so much through theprocess, including new ways to conduct research and become more comfortable with writing,”he said.
Above: James Cooper ’08 works with a student for his nonprofit, Brake the Cycle, in Springfield, Ohio
Posted in Alumni on February 9, 2021.
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Critically examine events and societies of the past and learn to tell the stories future generations need to know
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