St. John’s student Canaan Cooper receives Bahamian governmental board position

A St. John’s student has earned a spot on a governmental board for the nation of The Bahamas, one that was created this year. Senior Canaan Cooper has been given a position on the Sitting Youth Parliament as a youth parliamentarian. This is the inaugural beginning to this process by the National Youth Assembly, where each member is selected for skills in the field of public speaking, policy and governmental aid. Together, the Sitting Youth Parliament aims to initiate long-lasting change within the institutions of The Bahamas.

Cooper, a biochemistry major and neuroscience minor, has made it his initiative to promote a healthy awareness of mental health in his home nation, where it has become a taboo subject. With this new position, Cooper seeks to educate others about the importance of caring for mental health by hearing the stories shared by parents and children affected by mental illness and having a discourse to see both sides of the story. Specifically, Cooper seeks to break the stigma against men’s mental health issues and the lack of communication that allows these ailments to worsen. Other topics of interest are physical health and the correlation between a strong body and a strong mind.

Having lived in the Bahamas since he was 17, Cooper partook in academic competitions that had him travel the world. Cooper was named the 2021 Toastmaster of the Year, a world-wide organization that seeks to promote confidence in public speaking, provide and respond to constructive feedback and reach each individual’s goals of communication. A passion for public speaking and debate was ignited through this training, one that has stuck with him ever since he received a scholarship to attend SJU.

“I very much subscribe to the teaching, ‘If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for life,’” Cooper said. Cooper will depart later this week for the inauguration of the Sitting Youth Parliament. There, he will meet the Governor General of the Bahamas, The Most Honourable Cynthia A. Pratt, and The Honourable Philip Davis, prime minister of the Bahamas. On a personal level, this title is a source of honor and responsibility to Cooper. Cooper wants to show the world that it is never too late to contribute to society, and he hopes to exemplify this idea through his hard work and determination.

“I’m not here for the title or the money,” Cooper said, “I’m here to show what is possible.” After his two-year term, Cooper will potentially become an ambassador for the National Youth Assembly, led by the Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, The Honourable Mario Bowleg, and Ms. Sandena Neely, the Head of the Division of Youth.