Alumni Spotlight – Cody Marshall (MetE 2023)
When Cody Marshall (MetE 2023) arrived at South Dakota Mines in spring 2019, he already knew how to forge steel—but he was about to learn how to forge something even stronger: leadership.
A South Dakota native and member of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Cody came to Mines after joining the South Dakota Army National Guard in 2017 as a 12C Bridge Crewmember and completing Basic Combat Training before his senior year of high school. “Everyone had their first semester complete already, they had their cliques, and they had their vibe check with the curriculum,” he said. “I came in behind, but I found my footing.”
That footing came largely thanks to the Rich and Trudy Wells Veterans Resource Center (VRC). “The Vets Club was the first place I felt at home. That was my base,” he said. He practically lived in the Surbeck Center rec room and adjacent VRC, leaning on older student veterans for guidance. That space and mentorship gave him a launching pad—not just into student life, but into leadership.
Over the next five years, Cody immersed himself in a constellation of campus organizations. He joined the blacksmithing and welding clubs, helped grow the campus foundry, and eventually served as president of the Student Association Senate, where he helped identify and fix a major budget discrepancy, ultimately securing continued funding for beloved student organizations.
“The foundry is my baby,” he said, proudly noting the work he and his peers did to secure thousands of dollars in external grants for new equipment like a forge press, vacuum caster, plasma table, and welding booths. “That’s probably the accomplishment I’m most proud of.”
Along the way, he picked up soft skills—project management, negotiation, advocacy, communication—that carried over seamlessly into his military training. “Officer Candidate School gave me my first real taste of leadership with consequences,” he said. “But if it wasn’t for my time at Mines—especially in the extracurriculars—I wouldn’t be the leader I am today. I got to develop myself in a lower-stakes environment.”
He graduated OCS in July 2024 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Arizona Army National Guard as an engineer officer all while working for Raytheon as a System Safety Engineer with a vow to return to metallurgical engineering in the near future. “I’ve learned so much in the military and in my current civilian career path—combat engineering, general engineering, systems engineering—but my home is still metallurgy. That’s where I want to be.”
Even while serving, Cody has stayed connected to Mines. He speaks fondly of the Tiospaye Scholar Program, which he joined later in his college career after the program received more funding through the efforts of director Dr. Carter Kerk. “At first, I wasn’t involved,” he said. “But Dr. Kerk kept it alive, and once I had an opportunity to join, I saw how powerful that community could be.”
He’s also watching the Surbeck Center expansion closely—both with pride and a bit of nostalgia. “When I started school, Surbeck was the hot spot. It was where you ate, studied, hung out, everything. It was recreation, dining, student support, all in one,” he said. “To see it come alive again, to see that spark coming back—it’s incredible. I hope future students get to feel that same energy.”
For Cody, the through line in all of this—from the foundry to the VRC, from blacksmithing to the battlefield—is leadership born of grit.
“This school teaches you tenacity. You learn to approach a problem, even when it seems insurmountable. You find a way through,” he said. “That mindset—that grit—that’s what stuck with me.”
Now, as Independence Day approaches, Cody reflects on what it means to serve—both his country and his campus. “There’s something about Mines. The people here want you to succeed. The professors, the mentors, the support—it’s all there. You just have to take that first step.”
For students just starting out, he offers simple advice: “Breathe. Don’t let the stress of the world weigh you down. That first step is the most important one.”
And for those who follow in his footsteps—through the Surbeck Center, through the foundry, through the halls of Mines—he’s already paved the way.