FCUSD alum reflects on journey from local schools to county leadership during Cordova Community Council luncheon
What begins in a Folsom Cordova Unified School District classroom can help shape a lifetime of public service.
That message was on full display last Friday at Rancho Cordova City Hall, where community members gathered for a monthly luncheon hosted by the Cordova Community Council featuring Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, a proud FCUSD graduate whose path from local schools to county leadership came full circle during the event.
Cooper began his educational journey at Cordova Gardens Elementary School, continued through Mills Middle School and graduated from Cordova High School. Standing before the hometown audience, he reflected on the educators, mentors and community members who helped guide his early years.
“I would not be in the position I am if I didn’t grow up here,” Cooper told the audience.
He emphasized the responsibility adults share in supporting young people and ensuring they have opportunities to succeed.
“Every child deserves a chance to grow up,” he said.
For many in the FCUSD community, the keynote address was more than a speech — it was a living example of what can grow inside a public school system. Among those in attendance was Elliott Stevenson Jr., a sixth grader at W.E. Mitchell Middle School, who spent part of his February break attending the luncheon with his father. On a day off from school, he listened to a leader who once sat in classrooms not far from where he now studies.
Also present was fellow FCUSD alumnus Adam A. House, fire chief of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, offering another example of hometown roots leading to regional leadership. Together, their presence underscored a clear message: FCUSD classrooms continue to cultivate leaders who serve the broader community.
Following his remarks, leaders from the City of Rancho Cordova presented Cooper with a Key to the City, recognizing both his service to Sacramento County and his deep connection to the community where his journey began.
The event highlighted the power of public education and demonstrated to current students that the path from classroom to community leadership is not just an idea. It is a road that has already been paved — one they can choose to follow.
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