Faces on Campus – Gina Copping
Gina Copping acts as an initial point of contact for current Seattle students, assisting them with all aspects of their graduate program through to commencement. Her previous career experiences revolved around early childhood education and teaching English abroad. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Santa Clara University and a master’s in comparative education from University College London’s Institute of Education. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education through Northeastern.
How long have you been in Seattle?
I was born here, about 3 miles from our campus! But after I graduated from high school, I left Seattle for over a decade to pursue my bachelor’s in California, my master’s in England, and I also lived in Japan for a bit. I’ve been back in Seattle for about five years, and it has really changed. South Lake Union has changed the most; when I was in high school I used to come down to the guitar center with my musical friends. We’d buy discounted outdoor gear at a shop that was near Uptown Coffee. Back then, you could park in South Lake Union no matter what time of day — and it was free!
Tell us more about your role at Northeastern University–Seattle.
I’m very lucky because my role is to work with all students, as well as all the departments across the university. My main goal is to make sure the students have access to (and avail of) all the benefits and resources available to them through Northeastern University, but right here at the Seattle campus.
A lot of what we do to provide a positive campus experience to students comes from the feedback we get from current students and alumni. As the students are so instrumental in providing feedback and ultimately to making improvements, the Seattle team must get to know them and interact with them on a regular basis. That’s how we can figure out how to improve and benefit everyone in the long-term. For new students, I ensure that they have a smooth transition, so they can focus on their academics and studies. New and current students should know that they can come to me with any questions or issues that I can help to alleviate. I’ve been with the Seattle campus since we opened five years ago, so I’m lucky to have gotten to know a lot of our students. I have also had the opportunity to work with the teams that handle academic programs and university resources, so we can ensure that we do all we can to make this a top-tier graduate experience.
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing students at Northeastern University-Seattle?
One of our main focus points is continuing to build upon our connections and partnerships with local industries, since many of our graduate students are here to boost their career opportunities. I think students should do everything they can to leverage their graduate degree. It can be overwhelming to map out a strategy to reach personal and career goals, and that’s why the staff and faculty do everything we can to help our students make the right connections and enhance their opportunities.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Working with the students, of course! Being at graduate school is such an exciting part of our students’ lives; many are taking a step towards a new career, and many are living in the United States or Seattle for the first time. It’s so exhilarating and refreshing for us to hear the students’ stories and how NU-Seattle is helping them. Helping students along that path is rewarding. I also love working for Northeastern because it is so innovative and student-focused — it makes my work a lot easier. When the students or administration have a new idea, the university is usually very supportive!
What are your long-term objectives at NU-Seattle?
I’ve been so honored to be part of the Seattle campus since it opened five years ago; it’s been such a journey to participate in the growth. I’m excited to see how the campus continues expanding into new opportunities. When I started, we were a team of five staff members and 100 students. Who knows where we will be in five more years? I look forward to get us there!
What’s something crazy that has happened on the Seattle campus?
Back in 2013, we sent an electronic invitation to an event, but accidentally sent it to the entire Northeastern community, including those who were not in Seattle. Over 10,000 invitations went out, including to some people who were still applying to their degree program, and even to some who had already been rejected. We spent an entire day fixing the problem and emailing the hundreds of people who asked why they were invited to an event in Seattle.
There was another incident that year. When we arrived for work one morning, we couldn’t get in the front door of the 401 building because the huge door handle had been stolen! We had a temporary handle installed that day – we still use it! If you look at the door, you can see holes where the old handle used to be. We all agreed is seemed very odd to steal a big, long door handle.