You’ve probably seen Cody Ingraham at town hall debates, around the Political Science department, or at an RHA function. If not, then you definitely saw him at this year’s Mr. Siena! Her Campus sat down for an interview with this ambitious and involved Sophomore.
HC: Why don’t we start with some of the basics? What’s your major? Do you have any minors?
Cody: I’m a double major in History and Political Science. My minors are Broadcast Journalism, German, and I’m working on Pre-Law certificate.
HC: Wow, that’s a lot! How do you manage it all? Do you have any tips for people who want to attempt a program like that?
Cody: It’s all about time management. I’ve always liked keeping busy; that’s how I was in high school. When I was in high school, I was involved in fifteen to twenty clubs at any given time. It’s all about budgeting your time well. Making sure not to overdo it is a very key factor in being involved and doing a lot of things. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming, I suppose, but overall it’s very rewarding.
HC: What are you involved with here at Siena?
Cody: Well, I’m the President of Hennepin Hall Council. I’m the executive VP of operations for RHA. I’m in the Siena College Chorus and Chamber Singers. I’m also the speaker coordinator for the Political Science Society and President of College Democrats.
HC: How did you get involved in so many activities?
Cody: So, all of the programs that I’ve gotten involved in with my majors, my minors, my clubs, they all really accumulate all of my interests, all of my passions. Chorus and Chamber Singers, they’re kind of the outliers; that’s because I’ve been singing and I’ve been a musician for most of my life. I love having that portion. I also used to do student journalism and I took German in high school. I’ve always been very passionate about politics, both student politics and our world politics. So, that’s why I’m involved as a student leader with RHA and the hall council. It’s also why I’ve gotten involved with the Political Science Society and College Democrats. I really want to try to make an impact on people’s lives and I think all of these clubs can really do that in a unique way.
HC: How would you say the clubs you’re in have made an impact? What’s your favorite thing you’ve done with them, so far, since you’ve been here?
Cody: That’s a good question! My favorite things are some of the things that we’re able to do for the Siena College community. The music groups that I’m in, they bring music and culture to the Siena community, they expose Siena to a different side of music and musical tastes. RHA and hall council, we’re able to do programming that really helps bring together the community of Siena. We get to meet all types of different people. We just put on the masquerade ball; I was part of the programming committee to help plan that. We got over 300 people there, it’s great to provide those things. Also with the political clubs, it’s wonderful to be a political advocate. Our clubs try to educate the Siena population on issues that I feel, along with the rest of the students involved, are very important to the world and very pertinent to our generation.
HC: So, being involved in so many things, what would you say to people wanting to get more engaged at Siena?
Cody: I would say, for anyone, join a club. I know a lot of people aren’t involved in anything, which can be a bit surprising to someone like me, who’s involved in a lot. There’s just so many things to get involved in on campus. My advice to anyone is join a club, just one. Try something new. If it doesn’t fit your field, your major, try something new, it’ll expand your interests. You’ll discover things about yourself that you didn’t know were there. Taking on leadership positions, even small ones, can bring out the best in someone, even sometimes challenge someone to go beyond their comfort zone in ways they wouldn’t expect. Sometimes that has to do with juggling time management, sometimes that has to do with putting together a really big project or a really big event, or sometimes making a really big impact in the long run. So, that’s kind of my advice; try something that’s out of your comfort zone.
HC: Thank you, that’s great advice! So, more about you…do you have any future ambitions with all those majors and minors?
Cody: The one thing that I have consistent is that I definitely want to run for public office. A lot of people seem discouraged by our politicians and our political system these days. I’m, in fact, a little encouraged. I feel that politicians and political science can be a helping profession. I think politicians serve to really represent their constituencies, the same way, as a pre-law student, you’re representing your client. Instead of having a client, you have a constituency and you’re representing the issues that are important to them. So, that’s one way I really want to help impact my community and serve my country. I really do want to teach as well. Especially lately, I’ve really been passionate about being a history professor and being able to spread my love of history and politics and take that into the classroom and into an academic field.
HC: That’s awesome! So, do you have any plans for after graduation?
Cody: After graduation, I plan on going to law school. I want to get my law degree and learn how to defend people better. I think the field of law is a great one to really dive into, to help defend people. There’s so much injustice in the world and I want to learn more about that. I find that a wonderful opportunity.
HC: Okay, last question! What’s your favorite thing about Siena?
Cody: There’s so many things I love about Siena. The one that really strikes me the most is the community. There are so many friendly people on this campus and I noticed that from day one. Moving in as a freshman, I was just so surprised and I felt so at home having all of these people, older than me, sophomores, juniors, seniors, alike saying hi and really coming together as a community. One of my favorite stories I like to tell people is about orientation. My saint group was my hall and what I was so surprised about and I’m so happy about to this day, is my hall mates and I, we were really able to bond over orientation and we’re still the best of friends today. We still all live together, we hang out all the time. It’s that kind of community, those kinds of connections, that I’ve been so fortunate to make with so many people at Siena that’s really made this the time of a lifetime.