My journey towards becoming a Wally started approximately eight years ago when my older brother Nikeland Cooper ’06 and a family friend Howard Bailey ’06 attended and graduated at Wabash College. I knew I wanted to continue the legacy that they have started. Nikeland Cooper was the chairperson of the Malcolm X Institute for Black Studies and a volunteer for several youth based organizations. Howard Bailey was an outstanding singer and very creative in a clever way. Together they decided to join a team of superior achievement, although they never had experience. Nikeland and Howard became divers of Wabash College Swim and Diving Team. They proved to society that dedication and determination will move you farther than you will ever expect.

Now I am a member of Wabash College Swim and Diving Team. I decided to become a member also to continue an ongoing legacy and to prove to society that I have determination and skills to conquer. In addition, I will like to prove to all that large people are athletic, also. As the bible says, “The race is not given to the swift or the strong, but the one who endures the end.”

I am a believer that I can move mountains that come my way; that is why I chose Wabash College to pursue my future goals. I expect from my team to become a great diver, and to become a member of a family that I will be proud to tell my kids about. I expect from Wabash College to reconstruct me mentally and physically into a new person. I also expect Wabash College to take the best care of me because I am nine hundred miles away. Nevertheless, here at Wabash College I will live out a true tradition of honor, pride, and brotherhood, and that Wabash Always Fight!