A paramedic and former Orange man who defied the odds is hoping to change the lives of those in regional communities.
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Cody Logan graduated from CSU in 2021 but was unable to secure a job in the Central West.
"You have to hedge your bets, apply across the country and take whatever you can get," he said.
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"Tasmania gave me the first offer, which wasn't the most ideal situation because I'm still so close with my family and I wanted to be around them, wanted to be around Orange."
He decided to give the opportunity a chance and hasn't looked back since.
"It's been the most amazing experience I've done," he said.
"I'm so thankful I've come down here. I've been able to involve myself in the community, just as much as I was in Orange, which has been amazing."
Although life is good for the former Orange High School student, things weren't always easy growing up.
He experienced the family house going up in flames on two separate occasions, while Mr Logan's mum was diagnosed with leukaemia and suffered a broken back.
"She wasn't able to work, so financially we were stunted and it wasn't the easiest trot trying to get through school," Mr Logan said.
"Mum did amazing to try and raise five kids on her own. She always gave us the best opportunities in life to try and have what she didn't have."
A discussion with a teacher towards the end of year 12 convinced Mr Logan to apply for a grant through the Country Education Fund, something he was successful in getting.
"We got financial support but they also gave me a community to be part of, a community I'm still a part of now. It was hard, but people in my life made it a lot easier," he said.
"I've always wanted to go to university and study in the medical field and volunteers at CEF have made that dream a reality, without them I think it would still be a dream."
While being a paramedic provides Mr Logan with the chance to help people, his ultimate goal would be to complete a medical degree, for which he is already studying for, and eventually return to Orange.
"That's been my goal forever, to get back to regional and remote NSW and provide essential healthcare," he said.
"Being a paramedic has opened my eyes to a broader view of socio-economic demographics and how health literacy and financial status are privileges to maintaining good health."
In particular, he wants to help those who do not have readily available health services and "die from treatable ailments".
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