Finding the Right Fit: How Nashville State Helped James Copp Redefine His Future

After a couple of bad experiences in higher education, James Copp moved to Tennessee and enrolled at Nashville State. It was at the college where the right doors were opened, allowing him the opportunity to graduate with a degree in mathematics and pursue further studies and an array of internships.

“I had really been disillusioned by the process [of higher education],” Copp said. At Nashville State, “I could tell immediately the people cared.”

Before moving to Tennessee, Copp worked as a chef in the New York area, but he relocated to be closer to his father, an Army veteran, living in the Clarksville area.

An intellectually driven person, Copp understood the importance of a college degree but at every turn seemed to be stymied by impersonal interactions and bureaucratic holdups before coming to Nashville State.

Copp said he worked with Nashville State administrators to get enrolled and helped obtain the transcripts he needed to graduate, which had been held up by the first university he attended.

“Up to that point, I was disillusioned by the whole process. Dr. Jackson and her assistant really helped me realize I was taken care of,” Copp said.  

Copp knew he had an affinity for math and how useful it could be in the job market, so he decided to major in the subject with an interest in pursuing a career in data science. In addition to studying math, he also joined the Student Government Association, where he served as treasurer.

Once I got in, “I was able to start from fresh and I did well,” Copp said.

Before graduating, Copp was invited to deliver a speech at the fall 2022 Convocation – the assembly to formally start the fall semester. There, Copp spoke to teachers and administrators about his journey to Nashville State and his experiences.

“Here at Nashville State, I’ve experienced real people who had the heart and commitment to see me succeed,” Copp said during his speech. “You all have reassured my faith in this process. Nashville State is the reason I am here today. And…the reason why I can plan for success.”

Copp graduated from Nashville State, with an Associate of Science in Mathematics from the School of STEM, in the spring of 2023 and transferred to Austin Peay State University, where he continues to study math with a concentration in data science. And thanks to VA benefits, through his veteran father, was able to graduate debt-free.

With his education and experience, he has participated in several internships and summer research opportunities, most recently at a local bank, where he focused on using machine learning to support the compliance department.

“It was awesome. They saw I had machine learning in my background, so they threw me on the project,” Copp said.

As he completes his bachelor’s degree, he is in the process of applying to graduate programs and hopes to pursue a master’s at Austin Peay, focusing on math in finance and quantitative analysis.

Even though it was a long journey for Copp to find the right place in higher education, he said the experience has been an important part of who he is now.

“Getting there is where you build who you are.”

**Photo courtesy of James Copp, taken during an internship at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville