Hometown: Syracuse, New York
“College of Western Idaho (CWI) empowered me with a world-class education from great professors,” said 2011 alumnus, Cody Phelps.
Growing up in upstate New York, Cody loved learning and knew from a young age he wanted to attend college.
“Higher education seemed commonplace to me. I had some really amazing mentors, and I was always challenged to make thoughtful decisions around what I wanted to do for a career.”
Presented with an opportunity to experience something new, he relocated to the Treasure Valley in 2009 after graduating from high school.
“I wanted to enroll in college right away. After researching schools, it was obvious CWI was the most cost-effective way to get my core classes completed before transferring to a four-year school.”
At CWI, attentive instructors, like John Nordstrom, empowered him to be successful early in his academic career.
“His teaching style really resonated with me. He took a vested interest in me as a student. To this day, we still meet regularly to catch up.”
With an associate degree in Business, Cody was prepared to continue his education. He went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2013 at Boise State University and attended graduate school in New York at Cornell University completing a master’s degree in Health Informatics in 2018.
“Because of CWI, I began my academic career in the best way imaginable. CWI helped get me where I am today."
Back in the Treasure Valley, Cody is now the Manager of Health Services Programs and Strategic Planning at PacificSource Health Plans in Boise.