Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.

Phil Campbell High School senior Cody Farley said he has enjoyed his time in high school and will be sad to see it all come to a close at the end of May.

Since being in high school, Farley has been involved in the National Honor Society, FBLA, FCCLA, FCA and has served as president of the student council, but the 18-year-old basketball player said some of his best high school memories have been the times he’s spent hanging out with his friends, both at school and outside of school, and the time he’s spent with his teammates.

“I’ve played basketball since the eighth grade and we’re all close as a team and we all stick together,” he said. “That’s definitely something I’ll miss when I graduate.”

The closeness is something Farley is accustomed to at the small, rural school that has seen its share of ups and downs. He said he liked the fact that he knew all his classmates and was glad he had always attended Phil Campbell schools.

“I like that there aren’t new faces every time I turn around – everybody just knows everybody,” he said. “Our class was already close but I think the events that happened with the tornado brought us even closer. When I found out everyone in our class was ok, it was such a big relief.”

Farley, like many others in the town, started helping with clean-up as soon as he could.

“Whenever I saw the school, I just felt like I needed to be there and do what I could,” he said.

Farley is no stranger to lending a helping hand. He has participated in community service locally through the Franklin County Junior Leadership program and he has helped people thousands of miles away in Belize on a mission trip with his church, Blue Springs Freewill Baptist Church.

“On the mission trip I got to experience a whole different culture,” he said. “You don’t know how blessed you really are until you see how other people have to live.

“I like helping people and I was glad to be part of that trip where we built a church for the people there. They’re doing another mission trip to the same place this summer and I plan on going back.”

After serving on the mission trip this summer, Farley plans to attend Northwest-Shoals Community College where he’ll complete his basics.

“I like that Northwest is close to home and that I won’t have to move off right away. I’ll also be glad to still know a lot of the people that will be there. I like meeting new people, but it will be good to see some familiar faces.”

After completing his basics, Fraley said he hopes to receive a transfer scholarship to the University of South Alabama to pursue a doctorate degree in physical therapy.

“Two of my aunts and my preacher’s wife are all physical therapists and I think it’s something I’d like to do,” he said. “The subject matter is interesting and something I wouldn’t mind studying about and it will also be a good career because I can continue to help people.”

Once he graduates with a degree in physical therapy, Farley said he hoped to own his own business somewhere close to Phil Campbell.

“I’ve loved growing up in Phil Campbell and it’s somewhere I would want to raise my kids one day,” he said. “Even if I can’t have my business close to Phil Campbell, I would still want to visit as often as I could, especially to see my family and friends.”

Farley’s family consists of his parents, Tim and Angela Farley, and his younger siblings, Trevor Farley and Macey Farley.

“The best advice I could give to someone younger than me is to have the best time in high school that you can while you’re still here,” he said. “Don’t wish for graduation to hurry up and get here because you’re going to miss all this one day.”