Remember Me? - Andrea Copeland Harper
What did you do after graduation?
I enrolled at Harding University that following fall. Even though at that point in my life I was bound and determined to LEAVE Searcy... I ended up attending Harding anyway. During the four years I was there I had some WONDERFUL teachers and mentors, and most of all I made some lifelong friendships with truly amazing people. I would not take back those four years for ANYTHING. Once graduation was over and I had my degree it was SO hard to move on with my life knowing that the friends that I loved would no longer be my roommates, and that we would eventually move to various cities all across the U.S.
What have you been doing the past ten years?
I met my husband of five years Jeremy Harper at Harding as well. We moved to the tiny town of Heber Springs to work with a small church since Jeremy has a degree in ministry. Being able to go to the lake everyday was nice, but we hated the small town quirks like: everything closing down at 6pm, and having to drive 45 mins to an hour and a half to get somewhere where there was something fun to do. We were blessed with a church family that loved us dearly there and took very good care of us.
Three years later we felt a very strong call that God had other plans for us so we followed His lead. We ended up in Southaven, MS (which is a suburb of Memphis, TN) and we have had the pleasure to work with a growing church of loving people for the last 2 and a half years. Living in Southaven has been a big blessing in our lives in many ways. For the first time since college we have some wonderful friends that love to do things together and share a deep friendship like that of family.
Having a family changes a lot and makes High School life seems so far away, but I am extremely blessed by my family!!! I have a WONDERFUL 14 year old step son, Eric that lives with us. He is so talented with pretty much everything he does. He excels in music, sports, academics, and his love for people. I couldn't have asked for a better son that was not my biological child. Jeremy and I also have a 3 year old little boy, Christian, and our little princess, Eliana, who is 18 months. I stay at home and teach and train Christian and Eliana. They are so smart and quickly picking up on so many things/ developmental skills, and they bring us SO much joy and laughter. :) In so many ways it seems like so much has changed in life over the last 10 years, but in other ways I can remember things so clearly and I CANNOT believe HS was actually 10 years ago. It seems like it hasn't been that long. I don’t feel that much older than others that are in HS, but the truth is most teens I know view me as a lot older than they are. And 30 is just around the corner…Wow. That's ironic for ya. ;)
What is one of your favorite high school memories?
One of my favorite high school memories would be graduation and all of the events leading up to it. That was such a special time in my life. When everyone knows that things are changing and they will never be the same again a close bond forms between people and you can see the true colors of their heart. I guess we all took comfort in the thought that all of us were in the same boat with our emotions, and the fear of the unknown for what was ahead. Going to our favorite classes for the last month, seeing our friends, signing those yearbooks, being in the last plays, concerts, and watching the last football games, being able to get out way earlier than all the other underclassmen, and graduation itself. Good times, and great memories.
What was your favorite class in school?
I have two favorite classes in school. Drama with Mrs. Moore (she was hilarious and really cared about people if you took the time to get to know her) and Choir. The bonds and the fun memories we shared with these groups of people were truly unforgettable! We had SO much fun on the trips, not to mention all the laughter we shared during class time. J I learned a lot from Mrs. Moore, and Mrs. Niederbrach (even though she had her moments).
Who was your favorite teacher?
Mrs. Nelson by far! She made Spanish so fun. I didn’t think it would be a fun class but she was so creative with her lesson plans and the things we had to do like the unforgettable music videos, the movie posters, the Spanish commercials, and the everyday inside jokes, or funny moments. She was the first teacher that made me consider actually becoming a teacher because she loved her students and she wanted them to learn in a fun environment. I think all teachers should learn from her when it comes to keeping things fresh and fun. J
Who are you most looking forward to seeing?
I look forward to seeing all of my choir companions. Y’all were great! I am surprisingly excited to catch up with all the various groups and clicks of people that I didn’t know very well. I know so much has changed and most of those groups / barriers won’t be there anymore so I am very excited to catch up with most everyone. May God bless each of you richly in every way! Take care everyone and I can't wait to see all of you this summer for our reunion.
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