By: Justin Janorschke
For Private First Class Cody Young, there was no doubt in his mind of what he wanted to do when he grew up. He belonged in the Army, taking the mantle from his father, a retired artilleryman.
“I had to do something more for myself and for others,” Young said. “I knew [the Army] was a good way to build me up as a person.”
A year ago, Young was at Basic Combat Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, a military installation located in the Ozarks. He was taught a wide assortment of skills, ranging from marksmanship to rappelling. After completing basic training, Young was sent to Advanced Individual Training school. There he received further training as a Horizontal Construction Engineer, a “12 November” in military terms.
This year, Young is enrolled at Missouri Western, where he plans on majoring in Criminal Justice. He’s the first of his family to attend a university. Young stresses the importance in keeping motivated, whether in a military or civilian environment.
“It’s two different ballfields; the environments you’re in are so different,” Young said. “I’m pretty determined to finish school. I’m going to, I will. You give me a task, and I will do it.”
Young certainly means what he says. When it comes to taking his education seriously, Young makes sure he gives it his all. Just ask his reading teacher, Kathryn James.
“Cody seems to have a realistic attitude toward his education and how it will benefit him,” James said. “I would describe Cody as a good student, fun to have in class, polite to others and capable of doing well in school. I enjoy having him in class and I count on him to be ready to discuss a subject if the class is lagging.”
Making sure his best effort goes into every endeavor he embarks upon is just a part of who Young is as an individual. Whether he’s serving his country, or earning his degree, anything less than 100 percent is unacceptable.