Nancy Cooper will tell you her job at Furman University was a gift from God.
Born and raised in Greenville, Cooper was previously a stay-at-home mom, volunteering at her children’s school and the local church. Everything changed when her husband, David, was diagnosed with a rare health condition and could no longer work.
“We were in a position at one time where we were able to help people. All of a sudden, it was all gone,” Cooper said. “I learned quickly about receiving. People were paying my light bill, helping me with my groceries, doing things.”
To support her family, Cooper came to Furman in search of a job. No full-time positions were available, so she started working in temporary placements at the university, each for eight weeks at a time. She worked in three departments: business and economics, athletics, and the infirmary.
Cooper knew she needed a permanent job and continued to pray that a full-time position would open up. Five months later, she received a call saying the volunteer coordinator position for Furman’s Collegiate Education Service Corps, later known as the Heller Service Corps, was available.
She signed her contract with the university on May 30, 1988. For the next 36 years, Cooper oversaw the university’s largest student organization that focuses on volunteering in the local community.
“I’ve been so blessed and that’s what I want to do for others, to be able to help somebody because I definitely have been there,” Cooper said.
Cooper strives to make a connection with every student she meets, always reminding them to call her ‘Ms. Nancy.’ Sammy Dameske, Heller Service Corps’s student director, explained Cooper’s office is a “hangout spot” for students who want to stop in and visit between classes.
“Ms. Nancy is the type of person that cares about you and puts you above herself no matter what,” Dameske said. “The first time meeting her, it feels like you’ve already been friends with her for years.”
At the end of the 2023-24 school year, Cooper will retire from Furman. She said her last day would be right before graduation in May because she wanted to leave at the same time as the students.
Cooper’s plans after retirement include volunteering and spending time with her family. Her husband passed away in 2008. Their two children, Allison and Kevin, and four grandchildren all live in Greenville County.
Even though her time at Furman is coming to an end, Cooper said she will never truly leave and hopes the students continue to be a light in the local community.
A lasting legacy
Furman University recently honored Nancy Cooper by naming a new endowment fund for the Nancy Cooper Valentine’s Dance for Exceptional Adults. The endowment will help to support Heller Service Corps’s Valentine’s Day dance for adults with special needs. “This one night is the easiest thing we do — the least amount of work with the biggest impact,” Cooper said.
A mother to all
“I call her my work mom. She’s a firecracker and I say that in a good way. She’s passionate about making sure others feel welcome.” — Kristin Irwin, Furman’s director of career education
“Ms. Nancy is like the mom of Furman in … that she’s always there caring for other students.” — Sammy Dameske, Heller Service Corps’s student director
“I would say Ms. Nancy is a mother to all and endlessly caring, supportive, loving and kind — all the beautiful things.” — Madi Ogburn, Furman assistant director of communications and assessment
