Ozarka College

Ozarka Student Deployed to Haiti

Published on February 2, 2010

The recent earthquake disaster in Haiti has prompted the United States military to send troops into the devastated country to assist with relief efforts and security. Ozarka College student, Jessica Sterlin will be deployed to Haiti in early February.

Staff Sergeant Sterlin is a member of the 189^th Airlift Wing at the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. She has been in the Air Guard for eleven years and has served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as Hurricane Katrina.

Along with her service in the Air Guard, Jessica is a student at Ozarka College, taking classes in Mountain View which is also her hometown. She has been assistant manager at the Ozark Folk Center and is currently manager of the Wing Shack.

She was previously an Ozarka student and had started back to school this semester in pursuit of an Associate of Arts in Teaching degree. After being in food service for several years, Jessica decided it was time for her to pursue a career she would be happy with in the future. Her military orders have now delayed that decision as her unit has been notified they will be gone for at least120 days.

Ozarka College President, Dr. Richard Dawe states, "Ozarka College is very proud of Staff Sergeant Jessica Sterlin and her dedication to serving our country.  Sterlin adds, "I am eager to serve in this way to help with the horrible disaster which took place in Haiti. I am also very thankful to Ozarka College for being so cooperative and supportive with my situation. Knowing that President Dawe and others at the college have served in the military and their willingness to work with my military orders is reassuring." Jessica hopes to be back in full swing at Ozarka College to pick back up with her education in the Fall.  

Published by kwhitten
Tuesday February 2, 2010