“Stay humble in all you do. You are never too good for anything, but you are good enough to attempt your heart’s desires at least once,” advised Cody Hunter. “We are always in a season of growth and change, and it is important that we allow our lives to morph into what they were destined to be. Never let anyone stop you or tell you no when it comes to fulfilling your dreams. If you work hard and set your mind to whatever it is you believe in, you can conquer the world.”
Cody Hunter always strives hard to achieve his dreams. He pushes himself to accomplish what he wants, and his perseverance is usually successful in the end. He started to push himself when he was in school, and although he was generally recognized for his achievements, he mainly values the experience and memories that were made along the way.
“Throughout my primary and secondary school, I was always involved in something, and I made it my goal to push my limits to be as successful as possible,” described Cody. “While I did win numerous awards and was a part of many honorable organizations, the journey it took to get to them is what I value the most. All the people, lessons, sweat, tears, hard work, determination, and endurance it took to push my boundaries are worth so much more than the trophy or certificate I was ever awarded.”
He pushed himself to do more than must academics. Along with maintaining excellent grades and participating in various extracurricular organizations in the school, Cody was able to take on a part-time job as well. Naturally, his first job was working alongside his mom at her florist, Fantasy Cottage, and he was able to discover a love and talent that he didn’t know he possessed.
“I worked with my mom at her shop throughout high school, and that started my love for design,” stated Cody. “We would make things together and come up with impressive window displays. We are both the creative type and enjoy pushing the envelope of current design standards and expectations.”
Once he graduated from Quitman High School in 2017, he did not stop working. He found himself another part time job in Hattiesburg where he attended college.
“Once I moved to Hattiesburg, I worked at Kirkland’s, a home décor retail chain. While it was difficult to limit my creativity to stay within the limits of company guidelines, I always enjoyed seeing the new products and putting them together stylistically. The hardest part of that job was definitely staying positive through so much customer negativity; retail shoppers are ruthless, especially during the holidays,” recalled Cody. “My final part-time job was at Blooms Company in Hattiesburg; Blooms is a one-of-a-kind florist, garden shop, retail shop, and rental company all in one. I loved working with Blooms for the most part and made great relationships with friends Karen Howard and James Sims. The three of us worked as a floral design team and tackled weddings, events, parties, and so much more. In my short time there, I learned quite valuable lessons. Being a part of that team allowed me to value my self-worth a lot more while also learning about new techniques of floral design I have never had the opportunity to consider. Today, I am a freelance florist and design flowers whenever and wherever I can.”
He attended college with the goal to become a band director, and he had the chance to work out his internship with a championship band.
“I completed my music teacher internship with South Jones High School in May of 2021, and I was a visual technician/choreographer and on the design team for their state champion marching band and world champion indoor winds competitive ensemble beginning in 2019,” stated Cody. “My time spent with South Jones was one I will remember and value for the rest of my life, and I am forever indebted to them for their generosity and hospitality in hosting me during those years.”
Since he completed his Bachelor of Music in Education at William Carey University in May of 2021, Cody has accepted a position and is officially starting his dream of being band director.
“I am newly and currently the Assistant Director of Bands at Stone High School in Wiggins, Mississippi. I work with all band students grades 6-12. I choreograph and teach all visual portions of our state champion marching band’s show while also teaching music and drill and perfecting the design of the show with the rest of the staff and world-renowned show designer Dr. Mark Waymire,” explained Cody. “In the spring, I am the conductor of one of our concert ensembles. I began working with Stone in May of 2021 to perfect a marching show concept and to prepare for a competitive marching season.”
Cody has always loved band, and his greatest achievement actually involved being accepted as part of a well-renowned band.
“My highest achievement, however, is being a member of the World Class Drum and Bugle Corps, the Bluecoats,” attested Cody. “Having the opportunity to audition, rehearse, and perform for and with that organization has been the absolute highlight of my life; I learned so many things about myself and other people as well as the marching arts and the performance standards associated with the ever-growing activity.”
His participation in the Bluecoats allowed him to have some amazing experiences. In fact, some of his greatest memories involve playing in that band.
“My favorite memory is exiting the Lucas Oil Stadium field in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2019 after an exhilarating finals performance with the Bluecoats,” Cody reminisced. “Throughout the season, all of the fans wore white gloves and held up peace signs as a nod to our show, which was centered around the music of the Beatles. As we were exiting, the entire stadium had erupted with cheers and screams of ‘BLOOO’ while also singing our final tune, ‘Hey Jude.’ The entire corps had exited the field, and we were not in sight of the audience; yet, we could still hear the crowd. In that moment, I had become completely entranced in life’s goodness and was able to simply enjoy all the hard work that it had taken to get to that point in my life. I will never forget that exact moment.”
Cody has other interests outside of band and his creative design. When he is able to have free time, he really enjoys travelling and just being able to spend time with his friends since he is such a strong people person. His interests have taken him to many different places and allowed him to socialize with a variety of people.
“I love travelling and seeing the world. This past summer, I travelled to Europe and toured Venice, Rome, Vatican City, Austria, and Germany. I travelled to Japan with the Mississippi Lions All-State Band in 2016. I have been on many cruises to the Caribbean, and I always love hopping down to New Orleans for a day trip!” exclaimed Cody. “Spending time with my friends is a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I enjoy our fellowship together, usually at many of the local restaurants and hangout spaces in Hattiesburg, such as El Rayo, Crescent City, The Midtowner, and Glory Bound Gyro Co. I am an avid coffee drinker, and my favorite coffee shops are Equinox Coffee and Grin Coffee Roastery. I enjoy spending time with people and experiencing new things with those people. I am always up for a new adventure that involves travel, shopping, eating, drinking coffee, and taking photographs along the way. If my Labradoodle, Penelope, can come too, that’s always a plus because she loves to travel as much as I do!”
Cody’s optimistic perspective on life and determination to succeed in his dreams will undoubtedly carry him far. He will continue to work hard and inspire others as he pushes himself to achieve everything he sets out to do.
Congratulations, Cody, on all your accomplishments!
