Men's tennis player Cooper Wyett and Dr. Stephen Holland

About Cooper Wyett: 

• Sophomore
• Native of Glen Waverly, Australia

About Dr. Holland: 

• Professor in the Depaprtment of Economics
• Owns a B.A from the University of Iowa, an M.S. from Iowa State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan
• Has been teaching at UNCG for about 16 years here. Before that, his main teaching experience was in the Peace Corps in Botswana

                                                                                                 

       

     Q&A with Cooper Wyett:

• What is something you’re involved in outside of class and sports that we may not know? My dad learnt a few instruments when he was younger, so he encouraged my siblings and I to do the same. I used to play the piano and saxophone in some of my high school bands and I also used to take practical and theory exams. Whilst I don’t play the saxophone as much anymore, I still regularly venture to UNC Greensboro’s music school to play the piano.   
• How do you manage academics, athletics and a social life? What is your key to good time management? I think that my best time management quality is that when I’m engaging in either study or homework, I make sure that I’m learning the material as I go along. That way when it comes to a couple days before a test or exam and I’m going over the material, I’m just refreshing my knowledge. I also mainly focus on academics and athletics during the week, so that when the weekend comes around, I can spend most of it going out with friends and relaxing.  
• What is your favorite spot on campus? The tennis courts during summer is definitely one of my favourite spots on campus. It’s always a nice way to take my mind off my academics to go out and hit with some of the guys, when we have music playing and the sun is shining.   
• What is the most important skill you've learned through participation in your sport? Since playing here at UNC Greensboro, the main skill that I have learnt would be dedication to the process of improvement. I think that in many areas of life, if things don’t go our way after our first try, we tend to give up, labelling it as too difficult. Whereas Coach Jeff Trivette has constantly reminded me to not fear failure, as if we remain dedicated, our mistakes will eventually become our improvements.  
• Do you have any nicknames? Or if you could choose your own, what would it be and why? Before my college journey started, I worked part-time at my old high school as a gardener, which my mates’ thought was funny job for an 18-year-old to have. Although, instead of simply calling me a gardener, they shortened it to ‘Gards’, which then became my nickname.
• What are your plans post grad? I’m not quite sure what I want to do post grad, although I definitely want to travel as much as possible. Being an athlete here, I’ve made a lot of friends from all over the world, and I’d really enjoy meeting up with them in their home countries, or states across America.
  
  
  Q&A with Dr. Holland:
• What was it like having Cooper in your class? Cooper was part of a relatively large lecture class so we didn't interact a lot in class.  Cooper was always very organized and kept me notified of any athletics conflicts, which I appreciated.  Of course, he also performed very well in my class.
• What is your favorite sport or hobby? What do you like to do in your free time? My favorite sport is running.  I love to run the trails around the lakes north of Greensboro.  They are endless and really beautiful.
• What’s your favorite spot on campus? I walk past the softball field each day on my way to class. I love to see them practice and cheer each other on. They are such amazing athletes and so supportive of one another.
• What is your favorite thing about teaching? I love the diversity of my UNCG students and the opportunity to have an impact on their lives.  It if very meaningful to me to have supported students struggling through difficult circumstances and to see students realize potential they didn't know they had.
• What would students be surprised to find out about you? I'm pretty open with my students, so they know a lot about me.  They might be surprised to learn that in college I was a music major and studied classical piano.
• What is one class your schools offers that you wish you could take? I love to learn languages so maybe Japanese?  I've always wanted to learn more advanced mathematics like topology.

About Classroom Connections: In its second year, Classroom Connections is a weekly feature that showcases student-athletes away from the playing field and highlights the relationship between student-athlete and professor.