A Legacy in the Making: Angel Love’s Journey from First-Generation Scholar to Future CPA

As a first-generation scholar at Coppin, Angel Love built a legacy of leadership, service, and purpose. 

Angel Love 

Major: Accounting      

Hometown: Prince George’s County, Maryland 

When Angel Love arrived at Coppin State University, she carried more than a class schedule. She carried the hopes of a family that had never sent a student to college before. 

As a first-generation college scholar from Prince George’s County, Love came to Coppin determined to grow not only as a student but as a leader, a professional, and an example for those who would follow her. Four years later, she is preparing to graduate Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a record of achievement that reflects both her discipline and the community that helped raise her. 

That sense of purpose has shaped every chapter of her time at Coppin. 

A Fanny Jackson Coppin Honors Program Scholar and Ron L. Collins Award recipient, Love maintained a place on the Dean's List from 2022 through 2026 while sustaining a 4.0 GPA every semester, earned the Coppin State Medal of Achievement, and was inducted into the Delta Mu Delta International Business Honor Society. She is also a Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholar and a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. 

But Love’s college career has been defined as much by service as by scholarship. 

Across her four years on campus, she has served as Vice President of the Coppin chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), Treasurer of the Zeta Epsilon Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a Queen in You Senator, a Student Career Advisory Ambassador for the College of Business, and a member of the National Council of Negro Women. She was also crowned Miss Freshman during her first year on campus. Each role, she says, taught her how to lead with both grace and intention. 

Her professional preparation has been equally intentional. Love has interned with KPMG as an Embark Scholar and with Exelon/Pepco as a Project Management & Cost Analyst Intern, experiences that grounded her academic preparation in the rigor of the corporate world and clarified her path toward a career in audit. 

“As a first-generation college scholar, this moment represents breaking barriers, honoring my family’s sacrifices, and becoming the example I set forth,” Love says. “It is a blessing to walk across that stage knowing I am carrying the hopes, prayers, and dreams of the people who raised me.” 

Throughout her journey, Love says, Coppin offered her more than an education. It offered her a community, one she credits in part to the intentional leadership of President Jenkins, who, she says, ensures every Coppin voice is heard. 

“My experience at Coppin has been transformative on every level,” she says. “Coppin became a home for me, especially within the College of Business. It truly felt like a family. I always felt supported, seen, and surrounded by people who wanted to see me win.” 

After graduation, Love will begin her Master of Science in Accounting at the University of Maryland, College Park, with plans to pursue CPA licensure by Spring 2027 and build a career in audit. Long-term, she hopes to mentor young professionals and create pathways for underrepresented students within the business and accounting profession. 

For Love, graduation is both a celebration of how far she has come and a charge to carry the next generation forward. 

“Believe in your potential, even when the world underestimates it,” she says. “Coppin is a place where you can grow, lead, and redefine what success looks like. Your background is not a limitation; it is your foundation. Walk in your purpose with confidence.”