Fowler Scholar Grows Skills and Network Through Various Campus Involvements

Cooper Craven is a sophomore studying Business Management with a Specialization in Human Resources and two minors, Communication and Digital and Social Media Studies. After being a member of SDSU Rotaract and the Associated Students’ External Relations Board for just over a year, he’s served in roles such as Vice Chair of the External Relations Board and Voter Registration Lead for the Rock the Vote campaign as well as serving as the counselor for the Spring ‘22 class of Rotaract members. He is currently interning with the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, running the Youth & Government program he participated in in high school, and working for the SDSU Residential Education Office as a Desk Assistant.

Name: Cooper Craven 

Major: Management w/ a Specialization in Human Resources

Graduation Year: May 2025

Pronouns: he/him

Campus Affiliations/Organizations: Rotaract, Associated Students, Fowler Scholars Program

Q: When did you join Rotaract and Associated Students? How and why did you get involved?

I joined Rotaract in November 2021. I got involved because my good friend and fellow Fowler Scholar Azareel Canizales thought it would be a good fit for me and pushed me to apply. I was hesitant at first, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made since getting on campus. The service and professional development opportunities Rotaract provides are helping me build both soft skills and how to become a better candidate for jobs I am interested in. 

I joined the Associated Student’s External Relations Board in October 2021 after meeting Shawki Moore, current President of Associated Students. I attended a few meetings and knew it was the board for me. The chances I’ve had to promote civic engagement and improve life on campus for other students has been invaluable and I plan to stay on the board throughout my time at SDSU.

Q: What are your current positions on campus?

Currently, I am a general member of SDSU Rotaract and Vice Chair of the AS External Relations Board. I aspire to serve on the executive board for Rotaract in the future and I ran for Vice Chair of ERB this year because I wanted to take on more responsibility in running weekly meetings and supporting the Vice President of External Affairs, Robson Winter, in planning our agenda for the current semester.

Q: What events and activities do your organizations host?

Rotaract of SDSU hosts a guest speaker on a biweekly basis who shares their experience working in the business world. We also engage in service projects, with our largest involvement being Miracle League of San Diego, a baseball league for children and adults with special needs. 

The External Relations Board hosts events where we work with outside organizations to provide benefits to students, often centered around civic engagement. For example, our Rock the Vote campaign, which I was the voter registration lead for, registered over 500 in-state students to vote last fall and even more from other parts of the country.

Q: What is your favorite campus involvement memory?

My favorite memory is the Spring 2022 Rotaract retreat. Taking a step back and spending a weekend with a dedicated group of individuals who have the same passion for service and professionalism that I do was great and I look forward to building closer relationships with members of the club in the future.

Q: What is something you have taken away from being involved on campus?

Having a network is everything, and Rotaract has given me a vast network of professionals in all fields who have the same mind for service that I do. The External Relations Board has taught me how to plan events and market them to maximize the available resources. Marketing is one of the most important parts of voter registration as you cannot give anyone anything in exchange for them registering, meaning that the message behind it is the most important part, just like in business marketing.

Q: Why should students join your organizations?

Any student can join SDSU Rotaract. While we are a business organization, we are open to all majors and the service projects and networking events are invaluable to those of us who are about to enter the workforce. Students who are interested in advocacy, public policy, or civic engagement should come check out the External Relations Board.

Q: How and when can others join Rotaract and the AS External Relations Board? 

SDSU Rotaract has an admissions cycle near the end of each semester. We ask that students complete an application, conduct an interview with our recruitment committee, and shortly after they receive word on whether they are admitted or not. 

The External Relations Board is always open to guests and anyone who attends two meetings in a row is eligible to become a board member.

Q: When do your organizations meet? What are their social media handles? 

Rotaract meets at 7:30 pm on Tuesday nights and you can keep up to date with what we do on Instagram @sdsurotaract. 

The External Relations Board meets at 10 am on Monday mornings and you can find our information at @as_sdsu and @sdsurockthevote.

Q: Why is getting involved on campus important to you?

Getting involved on campus is important to me because it helps build my personal brand and unique image. Thousands of students in my generation will graduate from SDSU with bachelor’s degrees in business, but I can distinguish myself from the competition through the connections I build and experiences I gain through on-campus involvements.

Q: What advice would you give to students applying to the Fowler Scholars? 

The most important piece of advice I would give prospective Fowler Scholars, as cliche as it may sound, is to be yourself in the interview. The interviewers are not trying to nitpick your answers or find keywords in your responses. They want to get to know you for who you really are, so stay true to your values and personality because that's what they want to see.

Q: What are your career aspirations following graduation at SDSU?

I hope to work in HR, either in recruiting or compensation to start. I have always loved media, and as such my dream job is to be the Vice President of HR at a large entertainment company such as Disney or Warner Bros. Discovery.