With each year that passes there are more and more BIC graduates doing great work all over the world. Each spring we publish brief “Alumni Updates” where our alumni can tell us some about their post-BIC lives. In addition to these annual updates, we post interviews with our alumni. Today we are excited to post an interview with Sarah Cooper (’03), an Assistant District Attorney for Bowie County. We hope you enjoy, and if you are interested in being interviewed for a future blog post, email us at BIC@baylor.edu.
What year did you graduate from Baylor? What did you study?
I graduated from Baylor in 2003 with a BA in English and in 2007 with my JD.
What has been your journey since graduating from Baylor? What are you doing currently for work/career?
I moved back to my hometown and began to work for the District Attorney’s office here [Sarah is an Assistant District Attorney for Bowie County]. I will celebrate ten years here this month. I handle juvenile, child protective services, and criminal cases for our county.
What do you enjoy most about your work–or what is something you are currently excited about in your work?
My work focuses much more on rehabilitation than punishment. We work to change children’s lives at all stages…whether working to reunify families, finding forever families, or intervening with older children who have committed a crime. In the adult world, I work closely with our Drug and Mental Health courts to allow defendants to remain out of jail while working to address the addiction and mental health issues that led to the underlying crime. I love getting to know these families and working with them to achieve a better life.
How has your BIC education influenced your life and/or work since leaving Baylor?
BIC taught me to avoid tunnel vision in any subject. Every person, every situation has multiple sides and I need to work diligently to analyze all aspects of a problem before I make a decision.
Is there something you learned in BIC that still sticks with you today?
Living an examined life. School did not end just because I graduated…I need to be a lifelong student in as many areas as possible.
What are your goals for the future?
I have my dream job and I love what I do. I hope to continue to help families and at-risk teenagers for as long as I possibly can!
