Cody Merritt

This archived article was written by: Terlynn Westphal

Cody Merritt, from West Haven, Utah, is a sophomore at Utah State University Eastern. Before attending, he served a two-year LDS mission in Zimbabwe. He returned fall 2015 and began school spring of 2016. It is unknown exactly what he wants to do with his education.
Originally, he stated, “I was going to go into criminal justice and be a conservation officer or a state park ranger, but I’m rethinking that.” He will complete his associate degree December 2017 and then transfer to Weber State University or USU in Logan.
Merritt enjoys all things outdoors, perhaps this will influence what he decides to pursue academically. He hopes to visit every national park, especially Yosemite, in Northern California. “It is really pretty and one of the most visited. I want to go see what the hype is.”
Education is important to Merritt. He said, “If you want to move up, school is a huge advantage.”
He believes that people have the ability to be more accepting and that it would have an impact on society. “I think that people could be more accepting of things that are different or new Ideas. You can accept something without participating in it.”
People enjoy being around Merritt. He likes to have fun and is optimistic. Jake Scovill stated, “He has good dad jokes.” He enjoys and tries to be happy. “There are things that we can’t control, but we can control our attitude.”
Merritt looks up to his grandma and gains many attributes from her. “She is very kind. She doesn’t judge or gossip. That is something I would like to do better.”
From his mission and through other life experiences, Merritt learned to persevere and work hard. “You don’t have to be super talented or smart. But if you work hard and do your best, things will work out, and you’ll have the opportunities that you need.”