In this episode of 'SEMO Spotlight', we speak with Cody Patterson from Highland, Illinois, Cody is a Sophomore at SEMO studying Wildlife and Conservation Biology and he participates in a wide variety of different student groups, including serving as the Secretary of SEMO Stream Team (a student water conservation effort), the Student Reading Ambassador of Journey Student Literary Organization, and a Facilitator for the 2025 First-Year Leadership Program.
Cody attributes his decision to pursue conservation to growing up with his father, who worked as a conservationist. He also mentions how he was heavily inspired to follow his course of study by reading the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, due to Kimmerer’s indigenous perspective on biology and scientific process.
Becoming a certified firefighter this previous Spring, Cody joined other Missouri firefighters in California to combat ongoing wildfires. In our interview, he describes the process of earning his red card to become a certified firefighter.
