Q+A with Cooper McGrath ’15

Cooper McGrath joined the GUS community in second grade and graduated in 2015. From GUS, he went on to Pingree, then graduated from Trinity College with a B.A. in economics, where he was a pitcher for the varsity baseball team. Currently, he is pursuing a master of science in commerce and economic development at Northeastern University, where he is also a member of the varsity baseball team.

Why Did your family chose GUS?

My family chose GUS because they thought it would be a balanced combination, of academic vigor, strong values and preparing me for what was to come after I graduated.

What are some of your favorite GUS memories?

The overnight trips at GUS I will remember for the rest of my life. Speciﬁcally, the service trip to Arizona in 8th grade and the New York trip in 8th Grade were two favorites of mine. I have always loved New York and being able to be there with my classmates and teachers and see the city and all the famous places around it was awesome. We had so much fun on that trip. On the other hand Arizona was great because we got a chance to see a community very different from ours. It was definitely an eye-opening experience and put things in perspective. To be able to be down there and to interact with all those people and help in whatever small ways we could was a great experience. I think GUS did a great job organizing overnights each year. It was not just these two trips. Winaukee was awesome in middle school, and Mystic and Chewonki in 4th and 5th grade were always highlights of the year.

Tell us a little about yourself and a little bit about your love of baseball

Baseball was really my first love. I always loved playing sports growing up, but baseball was always the main thing that I was drawn to. I think baseball is so great at teaching important life lessons like how to deal with failure and how to be a part of something bigger than yourself. For me, I always wanted to play for as long as I could, but didn’t really start thinking about being able to play in college until I got to highschool. As I grew and began to throw harder I realized that it could be a possibility.

Current Stats: 23 innings pitched, 2.35 ERA, 23 Ks

What do you think of the GUS philosophy that ‘every kid plays’?

I think it is important for kids to be introduced to sports in a relaxed environment where they can just go have fun and learn what they do and do not like. At the end of the day, despite what my middle school self would have had you believe, a basketball game at a private middle school in Beverly Farms does not equate to the NBA Championship and it is important for everyone to be able to experience the joys of playing sports without the pressure of getting benched or cut sitting in the back of your mind. Specifically today, there are plenty of travel programs where young athletes can go and compete for playing time and play in tournaments if that is what they wish to do. I was one of those kids and loved every bit of those as well, but that nature of GUS athletics is a valuable experience for everyone.

In what ways do you feel GUS prepared you for what you’re doing now?

One of the things I loved most about GUS was the focus on teaching more than just what is in textbooks. GUS teaches life skills that you carry forever (Mr. E’s life skills class was a favorite of most if not all students). From managing different social situations to time management skills (which in my life now as a student-athlete are quite important), I left GUS confident in my ability to navigate whatever challenges would be sent my way in the next chapter of my life.

Any words of advice for our 8th grade students who are about to graduate?

First, and foremost, enjoy it, it goes by fast. I remember being told this exact thing when I was graduating from GUS and I, like I’m sure many others, thought “yeah alright, 4 years is a long time” and then just like that here I am 9 years later having graduated college and I feel like that was yesterday. Beyond that, don’t be afraid of challenges. Don’t not do something just because it is hard. Try new things and have an open mind. You’re going to have a million people asking you where you want to go to college and what you want to do with your life, it’s completely okay to not know. Try new things until you find what you love and then give everything you have to that thing. At the end of the day, there is no substitute for hard work, but if you set your mind to something, you can absolutely do it no matter how daunting it may seem.