At 22 years of age, Harold Jarquin has flown aboard the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler and taken a cruise on the USS Bataan, an 843-foot aircraft carrier equipped to act as a 600-bed hospital ship. Three years into his collegiate NRTOC career, he has risen to midshipman commanding officer, leading the 30-member NROTC Unit on campus. An electronics engineering technology major, Jarquin’s dedication to leadership and excellence is also evident in his school work, where he sustains a 3.7 overall GPA.
“Mr. Jarquin is by far our top midshipman and the position he holds is earned not given,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Adrian D. Ragland ’95, who commands the unit. “There’s no doubt that he will be a strong leader in the United States Navy.”
Born to a Colombian mother and a Nicaraguan father, Jarquin’s attraction to military service sprouted during his junior year in high school. After joining the Junior NROTC, he heard about the experiences of classmates and the opportunity for personal growth afforded by military service. He was connected to Savannah State University’s NROTC program by his naval science teacher and after graduating from Henry County High School (Ga.) in 2019, his future path was already in motion.
“I made a choice to be part of the military,” he said. “I knew it was beyond wars and I was specifically interested in the leadership skills that it taught,” he said.
He began his studies at SSU in spring 2019 and by June 2020 he had been offered the four-year National NROTC scholarship. His training so far has included two summer tours, which gave him the opportunity to shadow officers aboard the USS Bataan and fly a combat aircraft and a helicopter out of the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. He is on track to be commissioned in fall 2024. After that, he plans to join the Navy flight school in Pensacola, Fla.
“Being
in the military is a different world,” Jarquin said. “The rank comes with
privileges and responsibilities. It is about serving the enlisted crew members.
I know this is what I’m supposed to do.”
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