Cody Jacobs Enjoys Life in Montreal
Cody Jacobs might have graduated with Huntington High School’s Class of 2011, but she is really a woman of the world. She has traveled extensively across many continents and is studying at Concordia University in Montreal, where she is in her junior year.
The Huntington alum has been busy this fall, settling into a new apartment in Quebec and attending to details related to her academic studies. A splendid high school photographer, Ms. Jacobs is even better now. She’s bright, articulate and informed and she’s having the time of her life.
“I moved into a new apartment in an area similar to Williamsburg in Brooklyn,” Ms. Jacobs said. “The neighborhood is called Outremont and it borders on another neighborhood known as Mile End. It's a much more residential neighborhood that is a bit further away from school, but so worthwhile! Outremont is a predominantly Francophone and Hasidic neighborhood that many students are moving to.”
Ms. Jacobs is thoroughly enjoying her new living conditions. “It’s so nice to go out during the day and see families and young children walking around,” she said. “It’s also a safer neighborhood because it is more residential. There are also so many parks!
Classes are going well for Ms. Jacobs and she also leads an active social life. “My roommates and I are all good friends, which is really nice, she said. “We make a lot of communal meals during the week, which is also really nice. We also enjoy having communal potlatch meals with our friends on the weekend.”
Majoring in Photography and Anthropology
Academically, Ms. Jacobs is now carrying a double major in photography and anthropology. “I am taking a lot of Anthropology classes this year, which I'm really enjoying,” she said. “My favorite class is Political Economy of Food where I have been learning a lot about the global food economy and how my own consumer decisions fit into the food system. As a result, I have been trying to buy foods that are coming from local, organic and fair trade sources. There is an amazing food movement in Montreal where people are really challenging the way our food system operates.”
Ms. Jacobs has found herself to be “very passionate” about food. She tries to make as many of her own meals as possible. “We have a really awesome service at school called People’s Potato, which offers a by-donation vegan meal Monday through Friday on campus,” the Huntington grad said.
Always up for a challenge, Ms. Jacobs is helping to create a window garden at a café in Montreal as part of a group project for her Political Economy of Food class at Concordia. “Urban agriculture is also something I am very fascinated in,” she said. “My roommates and I have also begun composting, which makes a real dent in our combined carbon footprint. I have made it a goal for myself this year to lessen my carbon footprint as much as I can. I also bike to school because of this and because it is an enjoyable way to exercise every day!”
Award-Winning Photographer
An award-winning photographer at Huntington High School, Ms. Jacobs is continuing to develop her artistic skills. She is currently working on a project she calls “Re: Family of Man.” The name is drawn from a famous photographic exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
“My project is about creating an assortment of images comprised of archival family images and my own photographs, that aim to show the universality of human emotion and the oneness of mankind,” Ms. Jacobs said. “It’s sort of an ambitious project, but I’ll be working on it all year and hope it will work out in the end!”
As a Huntington senior, Ms. Jacobs earned an Outstanding Achievement in Visual Arts Award in photography. The honor carried with it a $100 stipend. She also won the $1,000 Jagoda Scholarship and the St. John's University Women in Science Society Award.
The Huntington grad maintains a photo blog that showcases her photographic work since high school. It is can be accessed by logging onto codyjacobs.blogspot.com.
Canada has proved to be a great backdrop for the Huntington alum’s college years. “I'm really enjoying life in Montreal,” Ms. Jacobs said. “It is such a vibrant and creative community.”