From Machining to Radiography, RCC Alum Cody Brigman transforms his future

When Cody Brigman attended McBee High School in South Carolina, he had a chance to job shadow at Carolina Pines, a hospital in Hartsville. It was a moment that would forever change his life, as it was the time when he discovered his purpose and his passion for helping others through radiography.  

“I really enjoyed it,” stated Brigman, who is a native of Patrick, SC. “I never forgot about that experience, and I enjoyed the workflow… radiography is something that there is always going to be a need for.”  

But the road to becoming an x-ray technician wasn’t easy, Brigman says.  

“I started out for radiography when I was 18 at Florence-Darlington Tech,” Brigman says. “But I had to quit due to family issues, and it took a while for me to get back on track.” 

After quitting college, Brigman went to work at Ina Bearing in Cheraw, SC, operating machinery, and doing CNC work.  

“I did mill work for ten years, working 7 days a week, it was all on-the-job training,” Brigman said. “I did that for ten years. It was tough, I spent too many years doing that.”  

After meeting his wife, Brigman began thinking about going back to school. His dreams of working in radiography had always been in the back of his mind.  

“My wife had gone through the RN program at Richmond,” Brigman said. “So, I went and took all of my general education credits there.”  

After researching colleges that offer radiography, Brigman found Robeson Community College in Lumberton.  

“I had checked out some other colleges, and they were not answering my questions,” Brigman said. “But when I looked at RCC, RCC answered all the questions I had, so I felt like I could get those questions answered and that’s why I chose Robeson Community College.”  

Now living in Rockingham, Brigman knew that the commute would be long, but based on his experience prior to enrolling, he felt it would be worthwhile.  

“It was an hour there and an hour back, every day,” Brigman said. “That was a tough drive, but it was pretty much a straight shot from where I live, and I can say it was worth it.”  

At the age of 33, Brigman enrolled in the Radiography program at RCC and says once he was in the program, he knew he made the right choice. From the instructors to his classmates to the training received, everything was set in motion to help him excel and become prepared for the workforce.  

“It was tough,” Brigman said. “But my instructors, Candice Ward and Whitney Hester, were awesome and very helpful in the good times and the bad times… they were the best teachers I could have asked for. I’m positive they are the best at RCC. I just can’t say enough good words about them.”  

“They really push you through the program. There were a lot of times I thought I wasn’t going to make it, but they just kept pushing me,” Brigman said. “And we pushed each other, everybody pushes one another in the program, it was like a family experience.”  

While in the program, Brigman and his wife started a family, presenting another set of challenges, but with a good support system at home, he says he was able to persevere through. 

“We had a little girl when I was in the program, which made it even harder,” Brigman said. “But my wife made a lot of sacrifices for me, she was awesome.”  

He adds, “If you’re thinking about going into radiography, it’s going to be tough, it is a lot of work, but I would recommend it to anyone.”

During his time in the program, he had an opportunity to do clinicals at various sites, giving him hands-on experience and building his confidence, preparing him for the work he does today.  

“I worked at UNC Health Southeastern, a radiography clinic, two orthopedic clinics, I did some work at Scotland Health, Cape Fear Hoke, and Columbus,” Brigman said. “It most definitely prepared me for the workforce.”  

Fast forward to today and you’ll find Brigman working in the field as a radiographer, the career he always dreamed of doing after his job shadow experience in high school. 

“I work in Raeford with First Health,” Brigman said. “I check-in patients, do x-rays, a little bit of everything.” 

“We see over 90 patients a day,” he added. “It’s mostly patients who have broken an arm, or who need chest x-rays because they have the flu or Covid.”  

“I enjoy trying to help people,” Brigman says. “It helps my soul to help people, it makes you feel good.”  

Brigman says he misses working in trauma, something he did while working at Scotland Health, but now with two children, a little girl and a little boy, working in the ER didn’t give him much free time.  

“I enjoyed the ER Trauma craziness,” Brigman admitted. “But with having kids, my schedule is better here.”  

Brigman hopes to add additional certifications to his resume in the future, saying, “I have thought about Nuclear Medicine or MRI, just something different that will help pull me to become even more.”  

Cody Brigman graduated from the Radiography program from Robeson Community College in 2022. Now at the age of 35, he is living his dream of being an x-ray technician, serving and helping others.