Sarah Paige Cooper - Drama
sarahpaige.cooper@animo.org

Both my parents and grandparents raised me to see education as the best investment a person can make in his or her life. My mother was an English teacher who would pack my lunches with an SAT word- not the coolest at the time, but I appreciated the gesture later. Growing up in Evansville, Indiana and attending a public high school of 1600students, I realized, however, that as much as my parents supported and pushed me, it was my teachers who had the most direct influence on my education. I worked my butt off junior year to get an A for my AP English teacher who shared her passion and demand for excellence in literature and writing. My history and science teachers, on the other hand, were terrible, and to this day, I'm still embarrassed by my weakness in history and science.

I graduated one of three valedictorians of my high school class but still had to take the SATs three times to reach the minimum score for acceptance to my college of choicethe
College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Upon graduation from W&M, I worked as a social worker for a few years, became interested in the Deaf community,
and returned to school to earn another degree in Sign Language Interpreting at Maryville College in Tennessee.

Interpreting for the next three years for Deaf students mainstreamed in a public school in Columbia, South Carolina, I started seeing again the strong, positive influence
teachers had on their students. So, I went back to school- again- and took theater classes while I continued interpreting. Theater had always been a passion, and if you?re going to teach, then why not teach your passion?

After attaining my teaching credential, I taught in an urban middle school in Columbia for three years before moving to LA to pursue my dream of professional acting in
Hollywood. While it's usually unrealistic to pursue your dreams, I firmly believe that you have to go for it, and while you may never reach your original goal, the journey will
always make you wiser. After four years of interning in casting offices, getting agents, firing agents, studying intensely with acting coaches, landing small roles in television
and film, I realized that while I may be decent at acting, I can be great at teaching- and you have to do what you?re great at- not what you're decent at.

My heart has always been in urban education because I love sharing my passion of theater and film, and I believe wholeheartedly that every student- every student- has a
unique talent and gift- whether it's in acting, writing, set or costume design, stage or film, there is a part for each Saint to play.

I am honored and privileged to work at Animo Locke 2 with a very special staff who devotes their efforts and hearts to helping students find and develop their greatest selves.

There is no other school I'd rather work, no other parents or community I'd rather serve, no other students I'd rather teach than those at Animo Locke 2!