Cooper is from Jamestown, New York and has been living in Pittsburgh since September of 2020. He moved here shortly after graduating from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, where he received a BA in Political Science and contributed stories to the student newspaper.

After moving to Pittsburgh, he completed a 10-month long term of service through KEYS AmeriCorps with Reading is Fundamental on the North Side. Cooper currently works with the Bridges To Health Program partnership between COL and Duquesne University.

“I have truly loved this position as it has given me the opportunity to do very direct, community-based work. Working in Hazelwood has been incredible, and I feel honored to get the opportunity to serve this community. My favorite thing about Hazelwood is how close-knit this neighborhood feels. Everybody seems to treat each other as a friend, which I think is very important for community engagement. The people of Hazelwood look out for each other, and engagement here is based on trust, so it has been exciting to work on building that trust between us CHWs and the community.”