Alumni Profile: Kiaira Cooper ’14

Kiaira Talia Cooper ’14 delights in her passion for both basketball and storytelling. From Covenant to jobs at Houghton College, The University of Idaho, The University of Kansas, UC Berkeley, and now as the creative director for Duke Women’s Basketball, Kiaira is creatively and authentically representing women’s basketball and sharing the stories of players.

“I love being close to the sport of basketball and being able to tell the story of the women that I am around, " says Kiaira. “Being able to tell the story of a group of people who haven’t really been seen in sports is such an honor.” 
Originally from Powder Springs, GA, Kiaira came to Covenant to play basketball and study art. She says that her time on the mountain deepened her relationship with the Lord because of the Christ-centered environment Covenant provides. Kiaira learned to appreciate that her entire life, including her education, was impacted by her faith. Her identity as a Christian has spread to every aspect of her life, and she says she owes much of that growth to the time she spent as a student-athlete at Covenant.

Her strong passion for advocating for underrepresented people groups, specifically female athletes and racial minority groups, intertwined with the work she pursued after college. Her previous role at UC Berkeley brought together her love of creative video, athletics, and storytelling. She still pursues this combination in her new role at Duke, continuing to enjoy the creative journey—to be a part of the origin story of so many amazing athletes. “We all know about men’s basketball at Duke,” she says, “but I am really excited to let them in on women's basketball and to see what can happen along this journey.”

As a steward of the stories of those around her, Kiaira doesn’t shy away from the good, the bad, or the ugly of their experiences. She works hard to represent the true stories of people to others. “God has created all of us to be creative, but it depends on how we see it. It is such an honor to be able to show people how awesome someone is or how great their story is,” says Kiaira. Through her videos and interviews she opens the eyes of the viewer to the experiences and lives of the subject, empowering someone to see the unique nature and beauty of their story.  

Working at Duke, Kiaira still has the opportunity to faithfully serve her peers and share in their experiences with them. “God has given me a particular gift and He has opened doors for me to be in this world, and I don't think it's a mistake that I am here at Duke as a creative director. He has put me here for a purpose and on purpose,” says Kiaira. “Being faithful looks like being trusting and understanding and believing that God has the utmost belief in me to do this job and to do this job well.”

Thank you, Kiara, for your hard work as a videographer and storyteller, showing viewers the experiences of the people around them, empowering them to see themselves creatively, and reflecting Christ in your career!