Cody Ward

While his brother was serving as a Ranger in the Army, Cody was a senior at the University of Florida working toward a degree in Elementary Education while competing for a championship on the SEC cycling team with dreams of racing in the Olympics one day. Not being able to stomach the thought of his brother going to war while he rode his bike, Cody joined the Army’s Delayed Entry Program on his 24th birthday in 2001. Having deployed in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq three times each with the intense operational tempo coming at a price and humbled by his fellow comrades true selflessness, Cody is resolved to spending his days earning their sacrifice and living up to the example they set – showing him what it meant to love something more than himself. One part of that resolve is Cody’s commitment to becoming a Physician Assistant.

Throughout the past 7 years, Cody has developed a deep love for medicine through serving his local community first as an EMT and then a Paramedic. As a medic, Cody is left pondering patient’s outcomes whereas PAs provide definitive care and completion of healing. This revelation has driven Cody to pursue a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Augusta University with the intent of working as a PA to provide medical care to veterans. With a disconnect between veterans and healthcare providers due to not sharing the same experiences, as both, Cody can bridge that gap and be a uniquely qualified practitioner.