At Texas A&M University-Commerce on May 5th and 6th, athletic director Carlton Cooper addressed nearly 1,000 8th graders from surrounding areas about making the right decisions towards their personal and professional life as part of the 8th Grade Career Fair jointly sponsored by Region VIII and the Hunt, Delta, Hopkins Consortium.

Students came from Paris North Lamar, Chisum, Quinlan, Roxton, Dekalb, Detroit and Cumby on Monday as well as Cooper, Leonard, Mount Vernon, Commerce, Lone Oak, Wolfe City, Bland, Campbell, Fannidel, Celeste and Boles arrived on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce on Tuesday.

Cooper, who was born and raised in nearby Paris, talked to the students about the significance of their character, attitude and behavior in their day-to-day lives. One of the key components of his presentation to the students was about the role that a book by Dr. Seuss entitled, "Oh, the Places You'll Go" had on his life. In his life, Cooper has traveled to five continents and 25 countries that have taught him lessons for both his personal and professional life.