Following in someone else’s footsteps was never appealing to Geoffrey Cooper, so he selected journalism to become a catalyst for change.

The recent North Carolina Central University graduate who majored in journalism said: “Growing up, I never followed behind anyone else. I always followed a different path than others.”

Cooper said his curiosity and determination to find answers led him to become a journalist. “I have always asked why things are the way that they are. I try to address how to bring about change,” he said.

Cooper, a Rocky Mount, N.C., native, constantly questioned the way things were being handled on campus. “I continuously questioned the administration and different organizations. I began writing because I wanted to inform others who had the same questions,” he said.

“This man had lost everything, his family and business,” he said. “He was a black sheep left to cope with this disease alone. I had to find the strength to throw away my pen and pad and learn more about him.”

Students picking up a newspaper and staying well informed give Cooper inspiration to write: “Even if they don’t agree, it is important that students are willing to educate themselves and ask questions,” he said.