Page 18 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2022 - Online Magazine

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Senior
Senior
d Cooper might possibly be
the greatest teacher, mentor,
Eand grandfather of all time.
Now, I know that seems like a bold
claim, but if you were to spend
five minutes with him, you would
undoubtedly feel the same way.
Some may say he is a living legend,
others might call him a hero, but I
just call him Grampie.
Here are a few basic facts you
need to know about Grampie. He
is a whopping 74 years young. He
absolutely loves anything to do with
agriculture and history. Grampie is
probably the smartest person I have
ever known. He has his master's
degree in Education and his master's
degree in Agriculture Education.
He is a member of the Texas Tech
Military and Veteran's Alumni
Association at Texas Tech. He
served on the board of directors of
Cal Farley's Boys Ranch and is also
a member of the National Future
Farmers and the National FFA
Alumni Association.
When thinking about the life lessons
Ed Cooper has taught me, I hardly
know where to begin. I suppose I
should start with the most obvious
ones: Perseverance and Dedication
– especially to Learning. When I
feel unmotivated or burned out, I
18 Lubbock Senior Link
Ed Cooper
A Star in My Eyes
just look at my Grampie. No
matter what the task at hand
is, Grampie is always giving
110%. If you don’t know where he is,
he is most likely to be found in his
office. I didn’t know it was possible,
but somehow, I think he’s made an
art of studying and then has gone on
and perfected it. He reads so much
that I think his eyes might pop out
of his head, or perhaps his brain
will explode with all the stored-up
information it holds. He works hard
for his students and his family. No
matter how hard life has gotten for
him, he always stands strong and
faithful.
Grampie has done so many cool
things in his life. He’s pursued
some of the most
interesting careers.
For a time, he
pastored at Trinity
Church. He hosted a
radio show as “Big
Alan C”, and I’m still
trying to convince
him to recite his
famous intro for me.
Gramps served as
the administrator for
the Lubbock Teen
Court, a juvenile
diversion program.
He was even a
probation officer at
the Lubbock County
by Riley Cooper
Youth Center for a while, which is so
fascinating.
It is encouraging to see his heart and
passion for helping kids, especially
kids in trouble. He has always tried
to see the good in everyone and be
there to give them a second chance.
Currently, he holds the title of
being the most iconic middle school
teacher at Trinity Christian School.
He teaches sixth and eighth grade
Bible. I don’t mean to brag, but it
is exciting to be able to say that I’m
related to a school-wide celebrity.
The most inspiring thing about all
his accomplishments is how humble
he is despite them.
My Grampie has always been there
for me. He has been there during
the hardest times
in my life and the
happiest times
of my life. He is
truly the one who
holds our family
together. We have
gone on countless
adventures
together, and he
has helped spark
my passion for
learning.
Some of my favorite
memories are
playing basketball