She knows that with the proper training, attorneys specializing in international law could help these and other asylum-seekers find safe shelter. And while Cooper's own academic and career interests lie in the European Union rather than Afghanistan, her law school ambitions are fueled by the desire to serve God through helping the needy around the globe.

The recent Texas A&M University graduate has accumulated an impressive history of aiding those in desperate situations. Church mission trips during her teenage years took her to Mexico, where she worked with impoverished children. She also served in homeless shelters in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago. "It's amazing to be given an opportunity to serve others, to see the poverty that they have to live with every day and to compare that to the plush life I lead." she said.

Cooper's record of service, outstanding academic record and high test scores made her a magnet for college recruiters as she approached high school graduation. Texas A&M recruiters were convinced that the Mesa, Arizona student belonged in College Station. But knowing little about the Texas school, Cooper wasn't interested until the university enticed her with a President's Endowed Scholarship (PES) that this enthusiasm was reciprocated. The PES, a top academic merit scholarship, is funded with private gifts. "The scholarship is the sole reason I'm here," Cooper said. "When I received the President's Endowed Scholarship, it made the decision easy."

Dr. Patricia Hurley, for one, is grateful for the endowment that brought such a gifted student to Texas A&M's political science department. "Some of the work she did for me as a first-year undergraduate was better than the work I've seen out of many of my graduate students," said Hurley, professor and interim head of the department.

After three short years at Texas A&M, Cooper graduated with a major in political science and a minor in English. She completed her coursework under the Honors Plan in Liberal Arts and the University Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, the most challenging research opportunity available to undergraduates. Both programs culminated in a senior honors thesis centered on the European Union and postmodernism.

Cooper now plans to attend law school and specialize in international law from a humanitarian perspective, concentrating specifically on the European Union. Her interest in the European Union was sparked by her participation in Texas A&M study abroad programs. It was traveling in Europe, coupled with her previous experience in Mexico, that formed her keen awareness of the interdependence of nations and the importance of being able to interact with other cultures. Down the road, Cooper would like to help with the transition process as Eastern European and former Soviet Union countries are admitted into the European Union.

Dr. John Robertson, professor of political science and advisor of her senior honors thesis, said Cooper has the determination and drive critical to reaching her life goals. "Lacy exhibits a fine balance between personal maturity and self-confidence, with a sharp and acute analytic mind," Robertson said. "She is a remarkable resource for Texas A&M."