Laura Cooper is the newest addition to our counselors here at Berkeley! From a young age, Cooper has dreamed of becoming a child psychologist, as she has a passion for helping others. She has been counseling for about fifteen years, eight of which she has spent working in schools. When asked how she likes the Berkeley community so far, she said, “Everybody’s been super super welcoming. They’re always looking out and checking in on me! Just seeing everybody take care of each other, it makes it feel very easy.”

Cooper is always looking for ways to help those in the Berkeley community overcome their challenges. “It’s really cool helping students feel comfortable to talk about something that’s bothering them,” she said, “and then seeing them feel proud of themselves when they try out a new skill.”

SETTLING IN: Laura Cooper is getting used to her new office and is excited to have students come and visit.

Prior to moving to Tampa, Cooper lived in Chicago for about eleven years. She says the main differences between Tampa and Chicago are the weather and amount of traffic. Outside of counseling, Cooper likes spending time with friends, going to the beach and hanging out with her cat and dog. She also loves various genres of music and goes to many concerts; recently she attended the Rob Zombie concert and looks forward to the Ludacris concert. Additionally, Cooper is a “Swiftie” (nickname given to Taylor Swift fans). When asked what her favorite Taylor Swift song is, she said, “I can’t even answer that one because I feel like it really depends on the mood and what you’re going through!”

Cooper’s goal this year is to meet as many people as possible and get the students at Berkeley to understand that the counselors are there to help them no matter what. 

Cooper will be an amazing addition to the Berkeley community as a support system for all students on campus!