A graduate of Belmont Hill’s class of 1994, Mr. Coppedge returns to campus as the Senior Associate Director of College Counseling. Having grown up in Newton and Brookline, Mr. Coppedge attended Belmont Hill for six years. He remembers the strong academic program but his fondest memories are of the relationship he established with both teachers and friends.
After Belmont Hill, Mr. Coppedge attended Colgate University where he majored in International Relations and minored in Spanish, graduating in 1998. He then worked as the Director of Graduate Support and Admissions at the Epiphany school in Dorchester for eight years. Returning to school, Mr. Coppedge received his Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Then he joined the Tufts University Admissions office as the Associate Director of Admissions, spending much time promoting college access to those in and around the Boston area.
Mr. Coppedge spent nine years at Tufts and in considering his next career move, contemplated different options. He had developed a close working relationship with Mrs. Tift and Mrs. Bobo, reading Belmont Hill applications. Hearing of Mrs. Tift’s retirement, he knew he wanted to return to Belmont Hill. He was “excited to come back to more of a deliberate community and have more connections, one-to-one with students and families, which at the college level, you don’t have as it is more anonymous.” So far, his experience at Belmont Hill has been exactly what he had hoped for, enjoying the daily interactions working with students.
This year, Mr. Coppedge is dedicating most of his time to the college counseling office. Given the complexity of the college admissions process, he hopes to bring a unique and different perspective, having been on the other side of admissions. He looks forward to working with colleges that come to campus, visiting schools, working with students throughout the day, and staying current on all aspects of the college admissions process. He plans on coaching Middle School baseball after the frenzied application season subsides. We are happy to welcome Mr. Coppedge back to Belmont Hill and are thrilled to have such an experienced college counselor on our campus.
