Family Times, Outdoors Fires Senior’s Passions
Cody Kling Strives for Future Goals
More stories from Justina Coronado
Senior Cody Kling welds during his dual credit college course. Kling is passionate about family, the outdoors, driving his pickup, hunting and fishing. He’s also a member of the Teen Youth Ministry group at the Catholic church here in Groom. “I love the outdoors and spending time with my family,” Kling said.
You may know senior Cody Kling as No. 44 on the football field or a leader in FFA, but there’s more to him outside of Groom High School.
Kling is passionate about family, the outdoors, driving his pickup, hunting and fishing. He’s also a member of the Teen Youth Ministry youth group at the Catholic Church here in Groom.
“I love the outdoors and spending time with my family,” Kling said.
He participates in football, track, FFA, tennis, and he takes dual credit welding. In addition, Cody’s the manager of the boys’ basketball team, but his plans for after college are life-changing.
“My plans are to go through Amarillo College’s two-year police program,” Kling said. “I will be 21 when I finish.”
He plans to attend Amarillo College for his first two years out of high school. Then, Kling intends to attend West Texas A&M, a four-year university, while going to work at the same time, possibly using his law-enforcement skills or doing some other job, but his ultimate goal is to be a police officer. He said he has strong feelings about this career choice.
“It’s really inspiring to me,” Kling said.
There’s a reason behind why he wants to pursue this field. He has people who have influenced him, and they continue to affect the choices he makes and the things he wants to do. Helping people is something he said he knows will be a part of his future.
“Some of my parent’s friends are in law enforcement, and my dad used to work at the sheriff’s department,” Kling said.
Others have said they believe that he has become a stronger leader even just in the past year of high school.
“I feel that participation in FFA has made Cody a more confident leader,” Ag teacher Kamy Whatley said. “He has been able to use the things that he has learned to help teach others and help others better themselves.”
Other students, and Kling’s closest friends, have said they are sad to see him graduate and leave Groom School.
“Knowing my ‘big brother’ is going to leave is heartbreaking,” junior friend Lauren Kuehler said. “But I am excited to see him succeed.”
