Cooper Davis, a senior at West Orange High School, has received a full ride to Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange High School senior Cooper Davis has received a full scholarship to the Frost School of Music, where he plans to major in media scoring and production. The school is part of the University of Miami and located in Coral Gables, Fla.
With a grade-point average of 4.04, Cooper has been enrolled in the Cooperative Education Program, a work-based learning program at WOHS, and interned at Sound on Sound Studios in Montclair.
“Audio engineering and composition mean everything to me. It is what I have been working on since I was in middle school,” Davis said. “The Cooperative Education Program allows me to do what I love on a daily basis and get paid to do it. It allows me to hone my craft and experiment and grow over time in order to be the best that I can be. It gives me the most satisfaction and fulfillment in my life.”
While interning at Sound on Sound, Davis was able to gain hands-on experience in studio production, including the use of professional tools, running a soundboard and practicing microphone techniques.
The Cooperative Education Program at WOHS is a full-year program offered in grade 12 that provides 15 credits. Students must complete two courses in career and technical education as a prerequisite and can participate in a work-place structured learning experience, which formally integrates classroom theory with practical experience at a work site in their chosen program.
“I’m really pleased with this experience as an intern,” Davis said. “It has given me the opportunity to see what it would be like to work in my future career. It also gave me the opportunity to experience it in my senior year of high school. It provides an experience to see what it would be like to be on a board and run a session. I have been able to get experience and contacts that will help me for the rest of my life, as well as a great opportunity to learn and grow in the things that I am actually interested in.”
Davis encouraged other students to look into the program.
“I would recommend this program to anyone who has an interest and passion for something but doesn’t have any experience doing it in a professional setting,” he said. “Go out and find opportunities like this. If you want to be an engineer, find a local engineering company and apply there. If you want to be a doctor intern at a hospital, act. This provides you with the knowledge and contacts to really start your career in whatever field you want to pursue and it also allows you to see the career close up so that you can see whether you want to go into it or not.”
“Cooper is an awesome student. It has been a pleasure to have him in our Cooperative Education Program. He plays three different instruments,” WOHS business teacher Demond Cowins said. “He takes initiative and sticks to his word. He has a super bright future ahead of him.”
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