He may not have been born and reared in Cushing, Oklahoma, but to Cadet Jared R. Whittington, Cushing is his hometown.
“Originally, when I earned an academic award, I used my hometown of Washington D.C.,” Whittington said, “but as time passed I came to understand my real home was Cushing. For the last year, every award I have received I have made my hometown ‘Cushing’ to reflect the values and excellence of the community.”
Whittington moved to Cushing approximately four years ago after serving his country in Kuwait while in the United States Army. Upon his return, he found his transition from military life to civilian life to be a difficult one. Feeling a bit lost and all alone, Whittington said he first found friendships from staff at the Cushing Daily Citizen.
“I will forever be thankful to the Cushing Daily Citizen – especially Gina Felix and Donna Judd – for their support during that rough time,” Whittington said.
Felix, publisher of the Cushing Daily Citizen at the time, found work for Whittington at the newspaper and Judd found him a place to live. They, as well as other staff members, gave him the encouragement he needed. Soon Whittington took it upon himself to become a member of several local groups – Cushing American Legion, Cushing Veterans of Foreign Wars, Cushing Masonic Lodge and Guthrie Scottish Rite. It was through those organizations Whittington found more friends and received more encouragement.
“There can be no talk of personal achievement without recognizing the Cushing community,” Whittington said. “I am indebted to original staff of the Cushing Daily Citizen and the members and families of the Cushing Masonic Lodge, Cushing American Legion, and Cushing Veterans of Foreign Wars for helping me during my difficult transition from military to civilian life. I could not have achieved so much without their dedication, concern and support. I owe a debt of gratitude to Cushing.”
One might say now that achievements have become the norm for Cadet Whittington. Recently he was selected as a Marshall Scholarship Finalist and OSU Alumni Association Seniors of Significance (2009-2010).
Whittington transferred to OSU following his substantial military service. He participated in Operation Noble Eagle (Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001 Rescue and Recovery Operations) and in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom Rotation 2005-2007 as Medical Ambulance Supervisor at Camp Ali Al Salem, Kuwait. During the summer of 2009, he was one of 51 students in the nation to participate in the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship Student Congress. For a week in June the Congress convened in Kentucky to address the issue of “Global Statesmanship and the World.” In July, Whittington participated in the Army ROTC Leadership Development and Assessment Course at Fort Lewis, Washington where he earned overall Excellence rating, was rated in the top 5 cadets in his platoon and received a 100 percent on Land Navigation. He was also an OSU Institutional Nominee for the Truman Scholarship and a finalist in the Elie Weisel Essay in Ethics competition.
Besides his military accolades, Whittington’s academic memberships include induction into Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Kappa Delta, the Sociology Honor Society as well as five additional honor societies and 13 additional academic awards. Other prestigious non-academic awards Whittington has received include the American Legion Department of Oklahoma Journalist of the Year (2007) and induction into the Order of Kentucky Colonels.
In December, Whittington will enter the Oklahoma National Guard as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps and will be assigned to the 160th Field Artillery in Chandler, Oklahoma. His future plans include further officer training at Fort Sam Houston, as well as returning to OSU (he’s already been accepted to graduate school) to pursue his Ph.D. and ultimately a career in the Veterans’ Administration with a focus on veteran’s policy.
Friday, Dec. 11th, Cadet Whittington will be commissioned at the OSU ROTC Commissioning Ceremony for December graduates. The ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. in the OSU Student Union Little Theater with a reception directly following in the OSU Centennial Lounge. All are welcome to attend.
***
