As a kid, Amirah Cooperrider unwrapped fresh STEM toys every Christmas morning. She always knew she wanted to work in some scientific field. But she never knew how to pay for the education that could get her there. The Newark native needed a lifeline. COTC threw her one through its new Licking County Promise program, offering free tuition and the chance to chase a childhood dream.

People like me who couldn’t otherwise go to college now can because of the Promise program. It really is a game changer.

She changed the course of her family’s educational history. Neither of her parents went to college. Her dad did get some credentials down the line, years after starting his career in the scientific realm. Cooperrider shared his affinity for the field, which he fostered over time. He got her those gadgets as holiday gifts. They discussed the equipment and processes he used at work. They compiled a library of chemistry theory books for her office.

“I haven’t read them all yet,” she confessed. “Maybe one day.”

That same phrase showed up as she described her approach toward attending college. Despite such robust academic interests, her grades at Newark High School started slipping. Cooperrider took entirely online classes her last two years, liking the flexibility but lacking the day-to-day connection with counselors who could help navigate her next steps. She also grew weary of the weighing debt her friends who tried college accrued.

“Stuff like that definitely scared me,” she said. “It didn’t feel possible at all.”

Instead, she found her own place and a serving job. Yet Cooperrider couldn’t shed the idea of science as a career — especially as she saw coworkers questing more prosperous futures.

“A lot of them go to school, and they’re bettering their lives,” she said. “I didn’t know how to work less and find more time for school, but I didn’t want to stay stuck anymore.”

She stuck her foot in the door at COTC. She enrolled knowing the Knox and Coshocton Promise programs were making an impact. She received that same assistance starting her second semester. As a Licking County resident who meets the income threshold, her tuition is totally covered.

“Now I can put more effort and energy into school,” Cooperrider claimed.

The budding microbiologist is making the most of it, pursuing an Associate of Applied Science to establish a foundation of far-reaching scientific knowledge. She plans to transfer that degree to a four-year university and eventually complete a bachelor’s program.

“I don’t think any other place could prepare me like COTC is,” she said.

Cooperrider is prepared to keep spreading the word. These days, she’s the example for fellow servers also seeking to better themselves. Sharing her experience with them elicits a joy akin to a Christmas morning.

“They’re always shocked and relieved knowing they too can get an education and do whatever they want,” Cooperrider revealed. “COTC is providing that important opportunity.”