The Coppin Experience: In the Words of Today’s Eagles

During National HBCU Week, students share how culture, community, leadership and belonging shape their Coppin experience

BALTIMORE — Ask students what makes Coppin State University special, and the answer is rarely just one thing.

It is the relationships built across campus. The traditions passed from one generation of Eagles to the next. The opportunities to grow, lead, and discover new possibilities. It is finding a community that supports students as they figure out who they are and where they want to go.

Together, those moments help define what generations of students have come to know as the Coppin experience.

During National HBCU Week, three students share what that experience means to them.

Growing Into Leadership

For Danielle Stafford, a senior biology and life sciences major, serving as Miss Coppin gives her the opportunity to represent the university’s community and legacy.

“Representing Coppin State University as Miss Coppin means being a proud ambassador of the university’s values, legacy and community while inspiring others to see their own potential,” Stafford said. “It is an honor to serve with purpose, lead with authenticity and leave a positive impact that extends beyond my reign.”

Stafford pointed to the Freshman Convocation Induction Ceremony as a Coppin tradition that holds special meaning for her. She said the ceremony was the moment she officially felt welcomed into the Coppin family.

Now, as Miss Coppin, she has the opportunity to welcome and inspire another generation of Eagles.

Her growth at Coppin has also been personal.

Stafford described herself as shy and closed off in high school. Through the relationships, opportunities and leadership experiences she found at Coppin, she became more confident, outspoken, and willing to step outside her comfort zone.

“Coppin has taught me to use my voice, embrace who I am and lead with purpose,” Stafford said.

For Stafford, that growth is central to how she defines the Coppin experience.

“The Coppin experience is finding a place that pushes you to grow, surrounds you with opportunities and reminds you that you are capable of more than you ever imagined,” Stafford said.

Finding Opportunity and Belonging

For Paola Pichinte, a senior criminal justice major and Presidential Scholar, choosing Coppin began with the atmosphere and people she encountered during a one-on-one campus tour.

Leaving home to pursue higher education was a major step for Pichinte and her family, and she initially had difficulty convincing her parents that attending Coppin was the right decision. The welcome and support she encountered at Coppin helped put them at ease.

Her selection as a Presidential Scholar helped lessen the financial burden on her family and connected her with academic support and opportunities to develop her leadership skills.

Her sense of belonging grew when she began questioning the academic path she thought she needed to follow to pursue a career in forensics. Conversations with advisers and additional research helped her realize there was more than one path available.

Pichinte said having access to resources and people who cared about her helped her feel that she belonged at Coppin.

That sense of belonging also extends to her experience as a Hispanic student at an HBCU, an experience that takes on added significance as National HBCU Week overlaps with the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.

“I always felt welcomed as a Hispanic student at an HBCU,” Pichinte said.

She said she quickly looked up to older students who were in situations similar to hers.

Those students reached out to her, and she saw their passion for representing different cultures and countries on campus.

For Hispanic students who may not have considered attending an HBCU, Pichinte encouraged them not to limit their options. She advised students to consider colleges where they will feel welcomed, challenged, and connected to a diverse community.

“My experience at Coppin has been challenging, fun and emotional,” Pichinte said, adding that her time at the university has allowed her to discover more about herself, make meaningful connections, experience new things and meet people who have shaped her college journey.

A Community That Becomes Family

For Dayquan Pier, a senior social work major, serving as Mister Coppin has expanded his ability to advocate for others.

“Serving as Mister Coppin means a lot to me,” Pier said.

He said the role gives him a larger platform to use his voice, advocate for others, and make an impact within the Coppin community.

Pier said Coppin has also changed the way he thinks about growth.

“Coppin has shown me that change is okay,” he said. “Growth is within change.”

Pier said his freshman-year self could never have imagined the opportunities he has experienced at Coppin.

When asked what someone might not understand about Coppin until experiencing the university for themselves, he pointed to the sense of community and family students build through their connections, traditions, support for one another and pride in the university.

“It’s more than just attending a university,” Pier said.

Those relationships are among the things he plans to carry with him after graduation.

Pier said he will take with him the sense of family, the relationships he has built, and the lessons he has learned from people who supported and believed in him.

He also credited Coppin with teaching him the importance of giving back and leaving a positive impact wherever he goes.

For Pier, the Coppin experience has been “a lesson that has changed my perspective, helped me grow and shaped me into the person and leader I am today.”

One Coppin, Many Experiences

Their paths to Coppin and experiences at the university are different.

For Stafford, Coppin has been a place to find her voice and grow into leadership. For Pichinte, it has offered academic support, new possibilities, and a community where she feels welcomed. For Pier, it has taught him to embrace change while building relationships he describes as family.

Together, their stories show that there is no single way to experience Coppin.

For some, it is finding the confidence to lead. For others, it is discovering a new path, finding a sense of belonging or building relationships that extend beyond the classroom.

Each student brings a different story to Eagle Nation, and each is contributing something unique to the Coppin experience.

Different students. Different journeys. One Eagle Nation.

That is the Coppin experience.