Ask Saint John’s University senior Canaan Cooper why he wants to play a role in public service and his answer could not be more eloquent.
“The ones who are in power are getting older now, and we need a new generation to rise,” said Cooper, a biochemistry major on a pre-medicine track. “I believe we, as youth, need to take control of our lives before life takes control of us.”
Cooper will have the opportunity to continue doing just that in his home nation now that he has been selected to serve as a sitting youth parliamentarian in the inaugural Bahamas National Youth Assembly.
Those selected for the new initiative will serve two-year terms, meeting monthly to discuss issues coming before the nation’s parliament and providing their input to the nation’s leaders as they shape policy.
“I’m about to turn 21 (on Nov. 16), and I did some thinking about where I am in my life,” said Cooper, who attended onboarding and training sessions, an installation ceremony and the first meeting earlier this month in Nassau, the nation’s capital.
“I’m going to graduate soon; I’m looking at medical schools and I asked myself if I’m in a place I want to be. I thought about the fact that I have two younger siblings who are still living at home. I haven’t been home in almost two years because I’ve been studying here. So I want to find a way to make an impact, and show that even if I’m not there physically, I’m still doing things to help make their lives better.”
Getting involved and making a difference on issues he cares about is nothing new for Cooper. The John Brandl Summer Leadership Fellows Scholar is the former judicial board chairman for the Saint John’s Senate, an Entrepreneurship Scholar (E-19) and ambassador, founder of his own limited liability company, the head captain of the College of Saint Benedict and SJU Dynamos debate club, a student representative on the editorial board of The Record (the SJU and CSB student newspaper), a resident assistant (RA) and mentor in Saint Gregory (Greg) House and a teaching assistant in the chemistry department.
He also presently serves as co-chair-Archipelago Caribbean Association (ACA) and as a Caribbean Zumba instructor for CSB Campus Recreation. He also served as a summer admissions tour guide and as a student ambassador in the SJU Institutional Advancement Office.
“I don’t look at titles for the pomp and pageantry, or as a way of making myself look high and mighty,” he said. “To me it’s a way of showing I’m a living representation of what’s possible – not just for youth parliamentarians, but for youth in my country in general.
“I want to be an example people can look to.”
Among the issues Cooper hopes to champion in his new position are breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues in The Bahamas and increasing the diversification of his nation’s economy.
“We are too reliant on the tourism industry,” Cooper said. “We know it’s a beautiful country and we know it’s a great place to be. We want to highlight that. But there are things that need to be changed as well.”
If that sounds like a platform that might someday serve as a springboard to elected office … well … Cooper is not ruling that out, even as he plans to pursue a career in medicine.
“I wouldn’t say it’s not in the cards,” he said. “We’ll see what the future holds. I don’t think of myself as a politician, but other people would probably describe me that way. I’d describe myself as someone who is passionate about issues, and who loves policy and advocacy.”
