NC Scholarship Recipient Cooper Barbour Starts Path to Psychology Degree at Clemson

May 21, 2025

By Cindy Baugher

Cooper Barbour, recent graduate of South Johnston High School in Four Oaks, North Carolina, calls herself “driven” to persevere towards her goal of working in the mental health field. This drive comes following the death in June 2024 of her uncle, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. His death affected Cooper in many ways, but she says the main one is her motivation. She said she wants to “pursue my passion for psychology, specifically psychiatry, and help others. Mental health is a very important topic, and if I could help at least one person, my goal would feel complete.”

After high school graduation, Clemson was Cooper’s next step

She started towards this goal at Clemson University in South Carolina, where her major is psychology with a minor in business administration. Cooper grew up in Four Oaks, North Carolina, but said, “I have always had a need for adventure and from a very young age, I knew I wanted to go out of state for college.” Her hometown is small, but Cooper describes this as having a tremendous number of benefits. She said, “I value family and hold them close to my heart, and to be able to be so close has always been a privilege. Living in a small town, most everyone knows everyone. You can build connections and grow up with peers from a small age all the way up to high school graduation.”

As an only child, her immediate family consisted of Cooper, her parents, and two dogs, Marley and Tate.  She adds that this was not a complete downside: “Being an only child forced me to learn how to be independent at an early age, and I am grateful to be able to have learned that skill so young. Having a head start on independence has taught me how to deal with situations more maturely and efficiently.” That ingrained independent streak likely plays a big role in her willingness to move over five hours away from home to attend college out of state.

Cooper and her parents

Looking to get plugged in quickly to campus life, Cooper has joined a sorority at Clemson. She’s found that being involved with her sorority allows her to continue giving back to her community through their philanthropy, the Alzheimer’s Association. Being active with extracurricular activities and sports teams is nothing new to Cooper. During her high school career, she was always busy with commitments through her membership in Key Club, Trojan Ambassadors, National Honor Society, and her school’s Inclusion Club. She was also a member of the varsity cheerleading team for four years. Of her involvement and volunteer work, Cooper said, “I truly take pride in giving back to the community and treat everyone that I come across with kindness, because you never know what is going on in someone else’s life.”

Cooper’s father, Bryan Barbour, is a member of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, a role he’s held for all of Cooper’s life. In fact, he graduated from patrol school just a few days after Cooper was born. “Fast forward years later,” Cooper said, “he worked on the road, usually nightshift, so I spent a lot of my nights having sleepovers with my Mom, watching The Bachelor on ‘his side of the bed.’ In 2017, he was accepted into the Aviation Unit for the NC Highway Patrol. I am a ‘Daddy’s girl,’ I always strive to make him proud of me. I love my Dad, and I am proud to call him my Dad.” He now carries the title of Master Trooper Pilot II, having been with the state patrol for 19 years with 25 years total in law enforcement.

Cooper and her father pose for a picture when she cheered in high school

Trooper Barbour was led to a career in law enforcement through his father and uncles. His dad was a part of the sheriff’s office in Johnston County for more than 35 years and he had two uncles who were also involved in law enforcement for brief stints. Due to this exposure to policing, he knew early on what he wanted to do when he was older. He said, “The thing I love the most about this career is being able to fly. Eight years ago, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Highway Patrol Aviation Unit. Being able to patrol the skies of North Carolina is truly the best job on the patrol.”

In addition to his role with aviation unit of the state patrol, Barbour has high praise for the PBA. He said, “Being with the PBA since 2003 has been nothing short of first class. Just knowing the PBA has your back allows law enforcement officers to do their job effectively. I have recommended membership in the PBA to several friends and colleagues over my career.”

Cooper showing off her scholarship check from PBF

It’s through her father’s membership in the PBA that Cooper was eligible to apply for this scholarship. She feels honored to have been chosen and said, “I want to thank each and every person that saw who I truly am and believed that I deserved it. I would always like to thank my parents for their unconditional support, because I would not have the opportunities I have had without them in my life.”

Cooper’s father is quite proud of her being selected as a recipient for this scholarship, as well as her next chapter as a Clemson Tiger. He notes that it was a huge accomplishment for Cooper and explained, “Clemson was in her top three colleges that she wanted to attend, so when she got the acceptance letter it was a huge deal in that Clemson only accepts 40% of applicants.”