Pilar Koopman, MSW '14

After graduating from U-M with a Russian Language degree, Pilar Koopman was undecided about what to do next. She took a position at the University’s Alumni Association, and spent a large part of her time there working with the LEAD Scholarship Program, mentoring and recruiting high school students interested in attending U-M. Her work included creating a network and community of support to better ensure new student success and retention after arriving on campus. Through her work with LEAD, Koopman discovered what it was that she wanted to do.

The most common issue I hear from students considering grad school is, ‘I don't know if I can do it financially.’ As a nontraditional student and mother of two young children, I understand the financial barriers of achieving a graduate education. My advice to people who are struggling with this issue is don't give up - there are always options.

”I realized that I loved helping these kids achieve their goals. I was interested in human resources but more so in human capital. I looked into several types of graduate degrees here at U-M, but the MSW program had the social justice aspect that I was after. I didn’t know what it was called at the time. I just knew that it was what I wanted to do.”

Social justice and community involvement go hand in hand, and Koopman is deeply invested in campus and community life. She says it’s integral to her education here at U-M. Koopman was the 2014 Social Impact Challenge Coordinator and is co-President of the Nonprofit and Public Management Center; Treasurer of the SSW Student Union; serves on the Michigan Union Board of Representatives; is a peer facilitator for the Office of Student Services at SSW; and helped form the Coalition of Native Graduate Students, a group that provides community and support structure for the relatively high number (7) of Native American students currently enrolled in the MSW program.

Koopman understands that the cost of graduate school can be daunting and knows from experience that giving up a paying job is not an easy to choice to make. To help defray the costs involved, U-M SSW/MSW applicants have access to a wide range of scholarships, grants, loans, need-based aid, and work study positions.

“The most common thing I hear from students considering grad school is, ‘I don’t know if I can do it financially.’ As a nontraditional student and mother of two young children, I understand the financial barriers of achieving a graduate education. My advice to people who are struggling with this issue is that if they know what they want, don’t give up. There are always options. If you don’t know what you want, take time to work in the field or volunteer until you figure it out. My job at the Alumni Association led me to discover exactly what I wanted to do. Through my community work, I’m already doing it.”