Stan Boddy
Stanley Boddy
Mary Frances Broadhead
Coming from a small high school in Benton, Mississippi, Stanley Boddy described Mississippi State University as a “whole new world.”
Since graduating from MSU in 1995 with a degree in mathematics, Boddy’s career has taken him all over the world. Without the education that MSU provided, he said that this would have never happened. “The professors made me feel part of the family and were there to offer help; and believe me, I needed it,” Boddy said.
After graduation, Boddy began working as a plant engineer in Yazoo City, Mississippi. He said that his career took off when he accepted a job with Eaton, a Fortune 500 company, in Jackson, Mississippi. This job would take him all over the nation – from Michigan to Minnesota to South Carolina.
“Working with Eaton gave me the opportunity to work outside of engineering and manufacturing. I accepted a role in supply chain, and my career has been centered around that since,” Boddy said.
Boddy’s most recently served as the distribution service manager for North America for a Swedish company that specializes in the manufacturing of mining equipment and other engineering services.
Boddy credits the College of Arts and Sciences for his career success, “Being a graduate opened a lot of doors, and I can honestly say it was because of MSU that I was able to get my career started,” Boddy said.
While working towards his degree at MSU, Boddy’s favorite class was engineering writing. “I was given a book called The Elements of Style. I give it to all my staff as required learning in corporate America. It's a must have,” Boddy said. “I had several professors that I respected a lot for their candor and the way they showed that they really cared if you learned what they were teaching.”
Boddy gained more than just an academic foundation for a successful career at MSU. “The friends I made in college have been my friends for life,” Boddy said. “It was not an easy path and I probably made it more difficult than it had to be, but I don't regret the experiences or the lessons I learned while being a student at Mississippi State University.”
If he could offer advice to prospective students, it would be, “do your homework when deciding on a major, what school to attend and what classes to take. Remember most of you are just leaving high school, so no one expects you to have all the answers to how your life will play out. Just try to have a five-year plan on where you want to be,” Boddy said. “This same advice holds true to current students. When in doubt, don't be afraid to ask for help.”
Boddy’s favorite MSU tradition is the cowbell, because, “who doesn’t want more cowbell?”
Boddy now resides in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, where he enjoys golfing and volunteering as a youth football coach.