Sabotka swings at success
Easygoing. Open-minded. Driven. Those are the three words Cody Sabotka used to describe himself.
Originally from Mount Ayre, Sabotka decided in the sixth grade to set a goal to someday become an engineer. “I decided I wanted to become an engineer at a young age. I set my goal based on my natural strengths in math and science. It really fit my background and I enjoy a challenge,” said Sabotka.
A Pre-Engineering major at Kirkwood Community College, Sabotka intends on transferring to Iowa State next fall to complete his dream. Sabotka attended Mount Ayre Community High School and was just as active outside the classroom as he was in. In high school Sabotka earned top honors by maintaining a 3.99 GPA and finishing second in his class. He was also part of the National Honor Society and even earned a 1st Team All-District title in baseball. At Kirkwood he’s been on the Dean’s List four semesters and has now been named as one of the college’s Outstanding Students.
“I came to Kirkwood because I come from a small school and wanted a school that offered a prerequisite to the engineering program. Also, I wanted to start off at a school that wasn’t a large university,” said Sabotka. Outside of school Sabotka tutors through the tutoring center 20-30 hours per week and enjoys intramural activities such as dodgeball and flag football.
Sabotka cited both his parents as his heroes and when asked about the hardest lesson he’s had to learn since coming to Kirkwood, he replied, “Time management and learning to be successful in and out of the classroom.
Making right decisions in order to succeed. There weren’t a lot of distractions in my small town but I learned once I came to a larger city.” Sabotka said he advises other students to set their goals high and to self motivate.
When asked what his future holds, Sabotka replied, “I want to get a mechanical engineering degree from Iowa State that will hopefully lead me to a successful career. I just want to maximize my potential and have what everyone wants: an enjoyable, healthy life.”
From the looks of it, Sabotka is well on his way to a thriving career. And it appears he has kept all three words in mind in his quest for success.