Oklahoma native selected as Cowley’s
January Student of the Month

From chemistry teacher and tennis coach to an attorney, that’s how far Josh Cobble has traveled in his choice of careers. Cobble, a Cowley County Community College sophomore, is the January Student of the Month. The Duncan, Okla., native isn’t sure why he switched his major at Cowley to pre-law. He just did it. "It (practicing law) was always something I thought about doing," said Cobble, the son of Larry Cobble and the late Lori Cobble. "Over Christmas break, I decided I wanted to go to law school. It was kind of a big switch when I changed classes." Cobble knows what he wants. He is transferring to Cameron University in Oklahoma, a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II school, to continue his pre-law studies. He’s going on a tennis scholarship and hopes to improve his game this spring for Cowley men’s tennis coach Larry Grose. That may be difficult, given the fact that Cobble was a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American as a freshman. He finished runner-up at No. 6 singles at the national tournament. "I just want to keep improving," said Cobble, who has two younger brothers, Darren, a freshman on the Tiger tennis team, and Sean, a freshman at Duncan High School. "I want to finish in the finals again this year, but hopefully win it this year instead of second place." After Cameron, Cobble will apply to get into law school at the University of Oklahoma. As a freshman, Cobble played No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles for the Tigers. He finished second in both events at the Region VI Tournament. He holds a 3.74 cumulative grade-point average and is a volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Cowley County. He and his Tiger tennis teammates volunteered to read at the Arkansas City Head Start program last fall. And he has a work-study position on campus for coach Grose. Cobble knew he’d been nominated for Student of the Month, but he never thought he’d get it. "I was very surprised," said Cobble, whose grandparents are Larry and Shirley Cobble of Lawton, Okla. "I knew I’d been nominated, but it’s always a pleasant surprise when you are recognized by other people." Cobble’s definition of a Student of the Month is "someone who is dedicated in the classroom and in every aspect of their lives, whether it’s athletics or organizations, whatever." Cobble enjoyed great success as a high school tennis player for Class 4A Duncan. He was fifth at state at No. 1 doubles as a freshman, third at state at No. 1 doubles his sophomore and junior years, and third at state at No. 1 singles his senior year. That year, all of Duncan’s individual players finished third at state, generating enough points to give Duncan the state championship. But tennis didn’t come naturally for Cobble. "My seventh grade year I started playing tennis," he said. "My high school tennis coach has horror stories of how bad I was when I started. But I spent a lot of court time and played in local summer tournaments to get better." And he continues to improve. He credits Grose for bringing him to Cowley. "Coach Grose is very persuasive," Cobble said. "He told me the strengths of the program and that it was a great place. I was impressed with his character and quality. He’s extremely outgoing and a fun person to talk to. My decision came down to the environment and the junior college system and being able to transfer my credits." Cobble couldn’t be happier about his decision to attend Cowley. "I am very pleased," said Cobble, who likely will play No. 5 singles and No. 2 or No. 3 doubles this spring. "I couldn’t think of a better place to spend my first two years of college. The class sizes, teachers, the group of kids I’m around all the time. It’s been a great experience." Cobble’s first campus visit was only about a month before the fall 2001 semester was to start. New construction was wrapping up on the Fifth Avenue Dorm and the Patrick J. McAtee Dining Center, and Cobble was impressed. "There was a lot of building going on when I got here, and it was nice to see a school trying to grow and improve itself," he said. Cobble said he’s become more outgoing since arriving at Cowley, a three-hour drive from Duncan. "I’m just enjoying myself more," he said. "I didn’t have a lot of free time in high school. Here, it’s a different kind of free time. It’s just more enjoyable. And the guys on my team are fun to be around." Cobble has several hobbies when he’s not studying or playing tennis. One is karate, something he got involved in when he was about 8 years old. "It (karate lessons) was a Christmas present from my parents, so I jumped into that," he said. Cobble earned a black belt when he was 15. He’s also trying to learn to play the guitar, and plays intramural basketball with his tennis teammates. Determined might describe Cobble best. He was only 9 when his mother died in 1991 after battling cancer for two years. That left his father and the three boys. They survived. "Learning how to cook was very important," he said. His father has been rock steady throughout the years. "My dad was always there for us," Cobble said. "He’s always been a real determined person, and that’s the most important quality for me. Being a single parent, he found a way to provide for us and spend time with us. He also taught me that if you need something done, take care of it yourself."