“Having completed my education at UMUC, new opportunities have opened up. The sky is the limit.”
- David Copeman, UMUC Alumnus
MS in Information Technology
Graduate School of Management and Technology
MyUMUC Story:
Alumnus David “Scoop” Copeman Looks Ahead to a Bright Future
By Julie Epstein
David “Scoop” Copeman, a highly decorated Navy Seal Senior Chief, began his UMUC master’s degree in Computer Technology with an ambitious goal—to graduate and retire by May 2008.
No stranger to a challenge—Copeman completed his bachelor’s degree in 2005 while deployed in Afghanistan—he began looking for a master’s program when his unit transferred to Iraq in 2006. He decided on UMUC.
“I looked at a couple of different options and found that UMUC was the best choice for me,” says Copeman. “UMUC has an excellent record of being military friendly, so I signed up for my first class starting January of 2006.”
Although the road ahead promised some looming obstacles, Copeman charged forward and attributes his strong family structure and work ethic for getting him through. At times, his service as a “Dev Group” Seal made it extremely challenging for him to plan for his studies. “Being in a unit that did multiple rotations overseas, I found that the most difficult part was balancing my studies with family, friends, training commitments, and deployments,” explains Copeman.
“UMUC was the best choice for me—it has an excellent record of being military friendly.”
Copeman additionally endured physical challenges, including back surgery, treatment for a bullet wound, and complications from ankle surgery. “Being a Navy Seal is not only hard on the family, but also on the body,” says Copeman. “Having injuries consistent with high impact sports, one has to have a back-up plan, when it becomes almost impossible to continue with your normal day-to-day job.”
Despite the challenges he faced, Copeman completed his coursework while spending weeks—and often months—in the mountains of Afghanistan and in the Iraqi desert. His dedication paid off. He met both of his goals on time. “I was able to finish my degree one week after retirement from the U.S. Navy and walk during the May 2008 Commencement,” says Copeman.
Alongside his proud family and friends, he also has the respect of UMUC Field Representative Nora Graves. “Scoop is an example I use when military personnel question their ability to take Distant Ed classes,” says Graves. “He had a very difficult goal when he began his degree (to finish by retirement); but his military training and his innate ability to finish difficult tasks under extraordinary conditions allowed him to successfully finish this lofty goal.”
Copeman is now looking ahead to a bright future and career possibilities. “Now, that I have reached retirement in one career and an advanced degree, new opportunities have opened for me,” he says. “Having completed my education at UMUC, the sky is the limit.”
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