Cody Sugai, MA-Theology - Christian Min. '23
Degree Program: BA/MA – Five Year Bachelors in Christian Theology and Masters of Theology in Christian Ministry
Introducing Cody
My name is Cody Sugai (he/they) and I am a seminarian here at SPS. I did my undergrad at SPU and started a dual Bachelor’s and Master’s program in the School of Theology (formally referred to as the BA/MA Program). I’m originally from Honolulu, HI, but I love it up here in the PNW. I do have a brief medical history that gave me the passion and drive to pursue ministry: I suffered two strokes when I was ten years old and have limited ability with my left leg and arm today.
How Did You Come to SPU?
I felt called to SPU as a theology major, and now as a seminarian, because I feel a deep call to ministry. I grew up loving youth ministry and always wanted to “do life” with teenagers who are going through big transitional stages in their life. I wanted to form my mission and calling around the idea of walking alongside young people in ways that foster both genuine and personal faith convictions, while also caring for their holistic well-being: which includes faith, family, friends, school, sports, passions, etc.. I have been blessed to do this work on Seattle Pacific University’s campus through my ministry as a SoulCare Intern. In my internship, I’ve served alongside a group of amazing undergraduate leaders and students. My ministry with SoulCare has been a blessing, as this opportunity to serve has sharpened my own sense of calling.
What has Made SPS Meaningful to You?
When I came to SPU as an undergraduate, I immediately felt welcomed in my search for greater education and challenge in my pursuit of ministry. Likewise, when I started seminary classes at SPS, I was thankful to meet both professors and classmates who were all focused on not only learning about God but truly desiring to know God. At SPS, faculty and students alike share in a passion for God’s vision for our world. I came to SPS desiring a theological education that allowed room for my own exploration, questions, and ever-expanding view of God. My time here at SPS has been nothing shy of awe-inspiring as all my classes, whether the class is about church history, Christian doctrines, ethics, or Biblical exegesis, have brought me closer to understanding who God is, who I am, the world around me, and my sense of what God has planned for me.
When people ask me why I am in seminary, and what I want to do with my career, I often find myself saying, “I don’t know.” And the fact is, I still do not truly know! Nonetheless, through my time here at SPS, and my growing passion for God and the people that I feel deeply connected to here, I am confident that my time is being well spent. What I have learned through my time at Seattle Pacific Seminary, and the connections I have made, will all continue to inform and enrich my ministry and theological grounding in whatever form my vocational path might take after graduation.