Cody Brant

“After graduating from Carthage, I plan to spend the next few months working on the 2016 presidential campaign. When that is done, I hope to go into non-profit advocacy, legislative staffing on Capitol Hill, or graduate school.”

“The professor who has had the biggest impact on my experience at Carthage is Professor Jerald Mast. I originally met him on my tour of Carthage where he was completely honest with me about what academics at Carthage were like. When I decided to come to Carthage, I was put into a class with him my first semester. Since then, I have taken three other classes with him. He was also my faculty sponsor for my internship. He has taught me so many amazing things in my American Government concentration and has been a great inspiration to pursue my dreams.”

“My favorite class at Carthage was Congress and the Presidency. It was very interesting and taught me a lot about American Government and politics.”

“My toughest class was my Political Theory course. My professor really pushed me to really find deeper understanding of philosophical texts regarding politics. I put a lot of time and effort into reading Plato, Machiavelli, and Aristotle, and it was really rewarding.”

“I participate in Student Government as a student senator and organizational liaison. This organization meets on Tuesday nights and is the voice of the student body. We also decide budgeting for student organizations.”

“I had an 8-credit paid internship working on the 2014 Wisconsin gubernatorial election. It was my job to recruit volunteers to contact voters about the election, and to report to higher-ups what voters were saying. We also got to see what voter mobilization tactics were and were not working. I learned a lot about field work and campaigns/elections. I also made crucial connections that I think will be helpful come graduation.”

“Carthage provides a lot of opportunities that help educate students and prepare them for life after graduation. There are amazing J-Term trips (one of which I am planning on attending next year). They also provide a great amount of lectures and presentations to continue to educate students outside of the classroom.”

“To pick just a few favorite moments and memories at Carthage is really difficult because every moment is a new and exciting opportunity. If I had to pick one, though, it would be the second day of freshman orientation when I told a joke to a new friend that I had made. There were these two girls in front of me that I had never met and they started giggling. Turns out that these two girls, just by laughing that one time, are now two of my closest friends that I spend time with on a daily basis.”

“My favorite spot on campus is the upper-field house in the TARC. Every Sunday a friend and I go there to play some recreational badminton and it is always a ton of fun!”

“The greatest surprise so far is how fast college goes. At one point, you are a new incoming freshman not positive of what to expect. The next moment, you are taking pre-thesis and getting closer and closer to graduation. Time flies when you are having fun!”

“My 8-year-old self would be so proud of where I have come and what I am doing. I have always had an interest in politics, even when I was 8, and I think I have a done a lot of really great work in college to continue to pursue politics after graduation.”

“My advice is to be open-minded and ready for a rewarding challenge. The work you do at Carthage is going to be difficult, but it always prepares you for what is next in college life and beyond.”