Chris Jones: Greene Publishing, Inc.
The Florida Department of Education and the Florida Education Foundation recognized ten of the Big Bend's highest achieving eleventh grade STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students recently at a statewide conference in Orlando. On May 19 and 20, the Sunshine State Scholars Conference, which was hosted by Lockheed Martin, celebrated the accomplishments of Florida's elite students. One of those elite students is Madison County High School (MCHS) junior Hannah Cooper.
Cooper is the daughter of Jodi Baker and Michael Cooper. She just finished her junior year at MCHS, where she is treasurer of the Beta Club and the National Honors Society. Cooper also plays softball, volleyball, and flag football, and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was chosen by the MCHS administration to represent her school at the STEM conference based on her high academic achievements in science, math, and technology. Cooper says her favorite teacher is Andrea Krell, and her favorite subject is physics.
While at the conference, Cooper attended workshops, listened to lectures and presentations, and spent time visiting with representatives from various colleges and universities. She said she spent most of her time with staff from Florida State University, where she plans to attend after high school, majoring in mathematics or biomedical engineering. She is currently enrolled at North Florida Community College, where she will take English classes during her senior year at MCHS. Concerning math and science, Cooper said “I love it! There is something about it that grabs my attention.”