We urge everyone to take a moment to check out this edition of “Meet Your CAPS Members.” Anyone who has been to an community event or met CAPS knows Roger. He would help anyone with anything, anytime. We’ve left Mr. Schuppert’s words as he wrote them because they give us some great insight into the life of a fascinating and accomplished community member.
“I have led many lives. Born Feb 14, 1947 in Milwaukee, moved around, spent my high school years in a little Texas town called Floydada and after graduation we moved to 
Waycross, Georgia, a forgettable town close to the Florida border. Shortly after, I enlisted in the US Air Force and ended up in Vietnam where I worked as a civil engineer doing various things, including pest control; I even spent a short stint in the post office. Nam wasn’t the hellhole I pictured it to be and I even got to know some of the local people. I shot no one and no one shot me and I came back in one piece and for, some reason, received the Air Force Commendation Medal.
When I got back I needed to do something so I applied to college-I wanted UGA but they weren’t accepting applications, so it was Georgia State University for me, where I eventually received three degrees,_BA in English, 1972, Masters in Education, 1977, and Masters in Journalism, 2000. I also worked at GSU for 30 years and retired in 2003.
While at GSU I worked with some colleagues who had done theater and film work and they encouraged me to do it. I demurred for the longest time but finally took the plunge and auditioned for a show. I didn’t get the part but I became the props person-the person who has to find pieces of furniture or other things to use in the show; I also became the stage manager for the show. I discovered that I was naturally good at it and at the end of the show I was given an award for technical contribution. You can imagine my surprise when someone who has never done this before gets an award. From that moment on I knew this was something I wanted to do and I did it for 25 years, receiving two more technical awards. I did a little bit of almost everything, from props, to light board op, sound board op, stage manager,crew chief backstage and I even got to be onstage a few times. What I loved most and what I did most, however, was build the sets and take them down again after the show. Some of my finest memories and lasting friendships came from that experience. So that’s a third life.
During my time at GSU I also appeared as an extra in a few films here in Atlanta. It was a lot of waiting around but I got to meet some stars-Gary Busey, John Cassavettes, Lawrence Fishburne and others. Life number 4.
Also while at GSU, I wrote for the student newspaper and had many articles published, mostly about film and theater and I did that for 10 years. I’ve also had some biographical research papers published, so as you can see, I’ve had a busy life.
When I retired, I needed something else to make my life fulfilling, as if it hasn’t been already, so I heard about the CAPS, program, joined the police CAPS eight years ago and fire CAPS 4 years ago; its one of the greatest decisions of my life; it gives my life a purpose besides taking up space and using up food and water. I love doing this work and I love this town.
So there’s a little about me. I am by nature shy and withdrawn but joining this program has definitely made me more sociable.”