Cody Matera

Persistence. It’s a dogged determination topursue a goal no matter the challenges that lie in wait. It’s been a constant companion since age fivewhen I decided I wanted to master martial arts. I’m Cody Matera, an Arizonanative and a Regents Scholarship recipient. My major in journalism and onlinemedia and my minor in history have sparked an interest in global relations and conflictresolution.

In 2012, I submitted stories to various newspapers throughout Arizona to hone my skills in the field and see if I could write on a professional level. My stories highlighted the great significance of everyday details within the community that were taken for granted or would often go unnoticed by people in their daily routine. The San Tan Sun News, a paper with a heavy emphasis on local events, taught me how to write stories that connected with and were relevant to a specific audience. With my Sikh story, I gave a voice to a minority group and showed the underlying prejudices they had to face even in the modern day. My work at the Downtown Devil spread awareness of just how complex and difficult even seemingly straightforward actions could be, both within Arizona and on an international stage. My work with the Ahwatukee Foothills News told the story of a cancer survivor by letting the full, unsettling details of just what chemotherapy entails speak for the fortitude and strength of will needed to confront and defeat cancer.

In addition to my writings I ran my own technology blog in 2011 that investigated how advances in computer design and tools affected society for better and worse. I have also created several multimedia projects in my time at the Cronkite School, mostly focusing on local issues and breakthroughs within the community. In the 8th grade I worked on the yearbook at Bogle Jr. High, writing articles, taking photos, conducting interviews, and building page layouts. At Hamilton High School I worked on the yearbook in 10th grade by taking photos and conducting surveys. I was also a member of the Hamilton video productions staff in 11th and 12th grade, during which time I shot footage of school sporting and academic events, conducted interviews, worked on the morning announcements, and set up giant screens and prepared for assemblies.

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