Kind-hearted, intelligent and unafraid of showing his true self, Cody Allen Reinhard will be remembered by his family and friends for his radiant personality.
A graduate of Killeen ISD Early College High School with honors, Cody took pride in every nomination, honor and award he received. Cody proudly served as a member of the Bell County Young Republicans and as a board member of the Washington Crossing Foundation, which encourages the patriotism of George Washington and his leadership.
During his time as a political science major at Texas A&M, Cody made his bright plans for the future known to anyone he met. Cody’s friend and former classmate Emma Stinette said she was convinced Cody would one day change the world.
“He was so intelligent,” Stinette said. “I was just in awe of everything that came out of his mouth. I thought for sure we would be voting for him for president one day. He was younger than me, but I just felt like he was on an entirely different level with the kind of knowledge he had.”
Stinette said from the moment she met Cody, he was never anything but respectful not only toward her as a friend, but also to those with whom he disagreed.
“No matter what, he was always kind,” Stinette said. “It didn’t matter that he had a different opinion than you. We had a history class together, so of course, things got political sometimes. He made sure everyone was heard, and then he was so kind and deliberate about his response.”
Cody was involved in state and local politics, serving as an intern for Texas District 31 Representative John Carter. The latter said Cody’s drive and motivation to make a change are what made him stand out from the rest of the applicants.
“When he decided to seek an internship with my office, he wrote in a letter, ‘I see it as my personal responsibility to be a part of the forces which better our country,’” Carter said. “For such a young man, it was a powerful declaration of his commitment to our community and our nation.”
When he wasn’t volunteering his time to local and national political campaigns, Cody was proudly hard at work on his political blog, where he published weekly essays on matters ranging from the 2020 election to defending freedom of speech.
Carter said this, along with his other achievements, is what made it clear that Cody’s overall purpose was to make a difference.
“It’s obvious based on his achievements he had worked towards that goal from the start,” Carter said. “Cody was an exceptional young man with an immensely bright future ahead of him. He will be greatly missed by Team Carter.”
Angela Webb, a friend of Cody’s, said meeting him her freshman year was one of the reasons her first year at A&M was so memorable.
“I was immediately drawn to his radiant personality,” Webb said. “He never failed to put a smile on my face and make me feel welcomed and loved in every situation.”
With an infectious smile and witty sense of humor, Webb said she wants Cody to be remembered for his love of others and his authenticity.
“I love remembering Cody’s genuine, pure and illuminating smile,” Webb said. “It could make anyone in the room happy. There was absolutely no way to keep a straight face if he was smiling at you. He genuinely made me so incredibly happy … every time we saw each other.”
In the time Webb spent with Cody, she said one thing was clear — Cody was one redass Aggie.
“He absolutely adored A&M and College Station,” Webb said. “I personally had an incredibly tough freshman year. As a result, I developed a bit of a disliking towards A&M [and] I was even planning on transferring. He told me, ‘But Angela, A&M is the best university on this earth, and you’re a part of it… I’ll see you again next year by the time I’m done convincing you.’ From that day on, Cody would remind me how lucky I was to be an Aggie.”