Matt Cooper Wins Gala Tickets

February 8, 2016

Take a survey and gain a chance to win a prize. Does anyone ever win those things? Yes! Institute of Applied Agriculture alumnus Matt Cooper ’05 completed the alumni survey in the fall and won the drawing for two tickets to the IAA 50th Anniversary Gala.

Matt Cooper may have finished his education, but he hasn’t traveled too far from the halls of Jull. He runs an irrigation division for Outdoor Illumination Inc., a Bethesda-based landscape company that focuses on high-end residential design.

Cooper feels the friends he made and the bonds he created while enrolled in the program are what he remembers most fondly. “The best part about the IAA is the small class sizes, but the professors are great there as well. They are not only mentors, but become friends with you too. Many of the people whom I met in the program are some of my closest friends still today. The relationships and networks that you make in the IAA carry on forever, and that is what makes the IAA so special,” he said.

Cooper particularly liked his shop class because he learned everything he needed to know about small engine repair, metal forging, and welding. He emphasized that he applies the skills he learned to his job every day.

“The skills I picked up in that class have helped me many times along the way. One of my funny memories of that class is there was a triplex that was in the shop, and one of the students had never operated one. So we showed him how to operate it, and he drove it and crashed into the shop, knocking a whole table full of small engine parts over. We all thought Roy was going to kill us!” he laughed.

Cooper returned to the IAA this spring to take INAG 224: Herbaceous Annuals and Perennials. He feels that the best advice he could give current students is to keep the relationships they make with others at the IAA.

“You never know who you will meet down the road,” he said. “It’s funny how you know many people across the country, and as you meet new people, they know them too! Always make an effort to continue your education. And staying on the cutting edge of things makes you stand out. Participate in your local associations and be a mentor any way you can!”

Above: Horticulture and Landscape Management lecturer Ken Ingram presents Cooper with his pair of gala tickets.

As we celebrate our 50th year, the IAA will shine a weekly spotlight on one of our distinguished alumni. For our first week, meet Matt Cooper, who graduated in 2005 in Golf Gourse Management. Remember to save the date for our 50th Anniversary Gala on May 14th at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center.