Major Cody Khork's Legacy: Scholarship & Scholar

0:00It's April 23rd, this is Tampa Bay News today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. Family and friends gathered at Florida Southern College in Lakeland to honor Major Cody Cork, a 35-year-old ROTC alum, killed in an Iranian drone strike on a U.S. base in Kuwait at the start of March. The college set up a memorial, named a conference room after him, and launched the Major Cody A Quarkin Dowd ROTC scholarship to support future. Cadets with room, board, and school costs. He got a posthumous promotion to Major, and his path to leadership started right there on that campus. Over 250 donors have chipped in more than $160,000 so far, with more contributions still coming in. His dad talked about the joy of seeing Cody's name live on, building better people just like he did. His stepmom highlighted how his simple acts of kindness and inclusivity made real differences, shaped by the ROTC program that anyone could learn.

1:02From, the community showed massive love during the procession through Polk County before his burial, from Lakeland to Winter Haven, with signs and support, from strangers that touched the family deep. Now his legacy fuels new soldiers and students, turning grief into inspiration as that scholarship in room keep guiding the next wave of leaders forward.