Donor Spotlight: Christopher Coco (’94)

3/1/2025

A desire to do more – to be more – has driven Christopher Coco (’94) long before arriving in Natchitoches from New Orleans. It was that yearning, perhaps influenced by his parents who prioritized education and wanted their children in a challenging academic environment, that led him to LSMSA following several years at a Catholic high school.

“Over my time at this school, I definitely felt like I didn’t fit or that I didn’t belong,” said Coco. “One, I am not Catholic but received two years of Religion (and Latin) classes. I was in ‘gifted and talented’ classes but was one of two people who looked like me out of dozens of students. And us work-study kids definitely got side-eyes and were looked down upon because it was obvious we couldn’t afford to go to the school we were attending. Needless to say, I hated it.”

Serendipitously, Coco’s friend received a letter from an aunt in North Louisiana. In it was an application to the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts.

“My friend didn’t want to leave home and was about to throw it away – when I asked him for it,” said Coco. “I was ready to get out. I went home and told my mom all about it. We asked around for information and called the school for a brochure.”

Coco applied to LSMSA, selecting a focus on the arts, not believing that his math and science background was strong enough, though he loved physics, astronomy, and “all things space.”

“Back then, the school split students by ‘focus’ of which there were three: arts, math/science, and humanities,” he explained. “When you applied, you had to choose one. I thought of myself as a pretty good artist at the time – I loved comic books, was a member of the Art Club, and tried to draw and sketch as much as I could.”

After presenting his portfolio of his best work to Brother Michael David, he was accepted and began his LSMSA journey. Soon, his desire for more would lead him to a “double-focus” of art and math/science.

“I distinctly remember Mrs. Talbert Smiley calling me a ‘renaissance man’ – though it seemed natural to me to focus on the subjects I really enjoyed even if they spanned focuses,” he said. “This decision replicated itself when I went to college as I graduated from Rice University with a double-major in studio art and space physics.”

A renaissance man, indeed.

His time as a student at LSMSA prepared him in many ways for his future as a software engineer on the West Coast – a location he fell in love with as a college student traveling to the Bay Area for ultimate frisbee tournaments.

“When I attended LSMSA, graphing calculators – specifically the Ti-85 (or the Ti-81) ruled the day,” he said. “I did not have one and was somewhat envious of the kids who did. However, in our calculus class taught by Mrs. Talbert Smiley, she insisted on no calculators and demanded that we be able to derive equations and have the ability to graph curves ourselves.”

These lessons stuck with him over the years: working through problems from first principles, figuring out how to get to a solution through thinking deeply about a problem. Today, Coco has found success in numerous roles, including his current as software infrastructure lead for Verrus LLC.

“My career since becoming a software engineer with no computer science background has been about learning,” said Coco. “In any interview, I always pride myself on maybe not knowing an answer to something computer science-related but being sure that I will figure it out. Mrs. Talbert Smiley taught me that. Start from the first principles and go from there.”

Now, Coco’s desire to do more can be seen through his efforts to impact the lives of kids – whether that’s through starting a non-profit in the Bay Area that uses Ultimate Frisbee to teach life lessons and positively impact underprivileged youth or serving as a member of the LSMSA Foundation Board of Trustees.

“One lesson that I’ve learned over time that I impart to kids from the program is that where you come from does not define where you can go,” he said. “I think back to my time at their age. Middle school, early high school. I think back to the Louisiana School and how the experiences and lessons are still with me today. It is important to me that any kid yearning to learn and striving to reach their potential has a chance at the Louisiana School experience.”

Coco is helping kids do just that through his gifts to the LSMSA Foundation. He is a founding member of the new Pi Society which honors donors who give $3,141.59 annually, and he encourages other alumni and friends to do the same this Pi Day (3.14.25) so that LSMSA can continue to help students discover their own ability to do more and be more.

“Becoming a member of the Pi Society is my way to deepening my commitment to kids who are just like me,” he said. “Kids who love learning and so desperately want to find that place where they belong. I think everyone should join the Pi Society so that the Louisiana School can continue to help kids realize that where they come from does not define where they can go and to reach for the stars.”

Interested in joining the Pi Society? Donate to Giving Day

Back

NEWS ARCHIVE >

Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts

715 University Parkway
Natchitoches, LA 71457
T: 318.357.2500 Toll Free: 800.259.3173 | F: 318.357.3189
Contact Us | Report Possible Fraud or Abuse |
National Suicide Prevention Hotline

Search

Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is the preeminent state-supported residential high school with competitive admissions for Louisiana's high-achieving, highly-motivated sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As a public school, there is no tuition to attend, and assistance from the LSMSA Foundation ensures the program is available to all qualifying students regardless of family financial need.