When we announced Cody as the Student of the Year during our annual Academy Showcase, he was speechless. He voiced his surprise, bashfully thanked us for the honor, and then relapsed into silence. When I called him a few days later for an interview, he was more loquacious, but just barely. The shock still had not worn off.
“I can’t believe I won,” he said. “I’m just an average guy.”
Cody’s reaction struck me. “Just an average guy.” I wondered who he was comparing himself to, and what a “deserving” winner would look like from his perspective.
It’s true that past Student of the Year winners have been quite accomplished. They include musical protegees, successful athletes, and exceptional students bound for elite universities. I’m not sure if Cody knew this or not. But no matter what I said, he remained skeptical of our decision to award him the top prize. I grinned bemusedly, and tried to redirect the conversation back toward Cody so that I could get to know him better.
Down on the Farm
Cody hails from rural Idaho. For context, a recent census puts the population of his town at less than two thousand. His family lives on a farm, although it’s not their primary source of income. He also works on a neighbor’s farm for money and rents ten acres of land with a friend, which they farm for additional income. Cody has never lived in a city and does not want to. And by “city,” he assures me, he means a typical suburban community, let alone a bustling metropolis like New York City.
In case it isn’t clear, Cody loves country life. When pressed for information on his hobbies or interests, he kept coming back to the farm. Horseback riding. Tending the cows. Farm chores on weekends. He doesn’t have much free time, and he likes it that way.
In an age of 5-year plans and highly specialized youngsters, Cody’s desire to reinvest in his community and carve his own path makes him hardly average.
It’s not that Cody lacks ambition (we’ll get into that); but rather, he sees opportunity for his ambitions within the rural community where he lives now. This perspective isn’t exactly typical—or, you know, average. Many homeschooled students are as eager to spread their wings and fly as other teenagers.
Cody wants to own a farm someday and remain in Idaho—but other than that, he’s comfortable with the unknown. He openly admitted he’s unsure about what’s next after high school. He has ideas, but it’s kind of a blank slate. He never mentioned college as a possibility, which on its own indicates an independent streak since most teens still attend college.
Most notably, however, he didn’t seem embarrassed by this approach to adulthood. In an age of 5-year plans and highly specialized youngsters, Cody’s desire to reinvest in his community and carve his own path makes him hardly average.
The Spirit of Innovation
Cody’s ambitious, entrepreneurial spirit was a major reason our judging panel selected him as Student of the Year. He rebuilt the engine of his truck with little to no assistance from anyone else. He dreams of establishing an assisted living facility which cares for the whole human person—e.g., the physical, spiritual, and social needs of the residents. He mentioned the possibility of buying a 1950s style building and turning it into a coffee shop.
I asked him about this drive to improve things, to innovate, to fill a need with something new. He acknowledged a desire to make things better, but otherwise, didn’t really answer. Instead, he talked more about the ventures themselves. He told me about how much he loved the landscaping business he started, and his hopes of growing it further over the summer.
“But why do you love landscaping so much?” I pressed him. There was a short pause.
“Well, because I love people,” he said. “And in a landscaping business, you spend lots of time talking to people.”
If you ask Cody about himself, you’ll get almost nothing. You need to ask him about his projects and the people those projects could impact. He could talk about that all day.
Cody explained that most landscaping jobs in his area are done for elderly clients. They are typically home while he works and eager to talk. He enjoys meeting all kinds of people and learning more about their lives. Sometimes, he even gets the opportunity to share the Gospel in the process.
“One man told me he was on oxygen and, if he gets pneumonia, he’ll die,” recalls Cody. “So, I just asked him, ‘Well…are you ready to die?’”
At this point in the interview, I had a realization which doubled as a revelation. If you ask Cody about himself, you’ll get almost nothing. You need to ask him about his projects and the people those projects could impact. He could talk about that all day.
Just Your Average Joe
As I wrapped up the interview, Cody repeated his surprise at being chosen.
“Honestly, I only competed because I was nominated,” he said. “I’m not super academic, so at best I thought I’d be a runner up. But if you’re nominated and you don’t try, you lose by default.”
I explained this competition is structured to highlight all types of students, not just the “super academic” ones, and his willingness to try despite the odds is more exceptional than he realizes. Cody reluctantly accepted my answer. I said goodbye, but he stopped me before I could hang up.
Cody is more interested in others than he could ever be in himself. It’s not often you meet a high school student with that perspective.
“One more thing. Could you send me the emails for the two runners up?” Cody asked. “I’d like to congratulate them. I feel bad that I didn’t after I won because I was so shocked.”
I smiled. In the last moments of our conversation, Cody pivoted, once again, to thinking about someone else. When most of us are profiled, we’re concerned about how we sound, how we present ourselves, and what we’re saying. And I’m sure Cody was too. But ultimately, he’s more interested in others than he could ever be in himself. It’s not often you meet a high school student with that perspective.
But don’t forget, there’s nothing special about Cody Rietema. There’s nothing special about being an outward-focused, industrious, budding entrepreneur. He’s just your average Joe.
