Penn State shares more stories of faculty and staff veterans

Editor’s note: This is the final installment in a three-part feature in Penn State Today in honor of Military Appreciation Week. The first and second stories are available on Penn State News.

This year, Penn State highlighted staff and faculty members with a history of service by sharing their stories and hosting events throughout the week. Penn State community members also submitted “Profiles of Service,” which are available at militaryappreciation.psu.edu. Participating staff and faculty who served also are featured on banners in downtown State College.

Below are three stories of Penn State employee veterans who served in the U.S. armed forces.

Army Lt. Col. William Parquette, veteran, professor of practice, Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology

William Parquette decided to join ROTC when he began college at Northeastern University in Boston. From there, he decided to join the Army and retired as a lieutenant colonel after 22 years of active duty.

“It was the place to be,” Parquette said

After graduating from Northeastern University, he was Commissioned in the Army full time, he had the opportunity to work all over the world. Parquette expressed his gratitude to his wife for following him and supporting him during his career.

“I honestly don’t know how she did it,” he said.

Parquette and his wife have been married for 42 years and she’s always stuck by his side. During his time serving, they had three children, and he expressed his admiration for her strength and perseverance.

Traveling from place to place can be difficult, but Parquette relayed that no matter where his family went, they were always able to find a community of people who were going through the exact same thing as them.

“Everywhere we went in the world, we found a community where we had an instant bond and shared connection. You were never lonely and never short of friendship,” Parquette said.

Parquette recalls several times throughout his 22-year career when he considered leaving the military, but when duty called, he never failed to answer. After 11 years in the Army, he was stationed in Kansas when the Persian Gulf War began. Parquette was not automatically deployed during the war, but he didn’t even hesitate when he volunteered to go.

“I volunteered because I knew I could be useful. I never thought they’d deploy me when I asked, but they did and in four days I was gone,” he said.

Parquette was assigned to the Pentagon his last five years of active service. After retiring he stayed in Washington, D.C. There he served with the Foreign Denial and Deception Committee of the National Intelligence Council in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He also was a faculty member at the National Intelligence University for 13 years, and he still consults with the DoD. After a student of Parquette’s decided to begin a teaching career at Penn State, Parquette was invited to guest lecture many times and that soon led him to where he is now, a professor of practice in the College of Information Services and Technology.

When asked what was one of the biggest lessons he’s taken away from his service, Parquette said to listen to everyone’s advice.

“I always attempted to make everyone a part of both the solution and the problem, always including all ranks in different thought processes,” Parquette said. “Good ideas always came from everywhere.”

One thing he wishes more people understood about being in the military is sacrifice.

“Not just mine. It’s about anyone in uniform. It’s a choice. That includes the generations of people in uniform,” Parquette said.

Air Force Master Sgt. Adam Rawding, veteran, Penn State police officer

Officer Adam Rawding has been with the Penn State University Police for more than 15 years. Before his career at Penn State, Rawding was in the Air Force for approximately 20 years.

Rawding always had an overall goal of working in law enforcement. He decided to go into the Air Force for more experience but ended up enlisting. He ended his 20-year career as a master sergeant.

During his time in the military, Rawding had the unique opportunity of seeing the world and sharing the experience with his wife and three daughters.

“When my daughter was in college, professors would ask the class if they’d visited different landmarks around the world, and she would always be the one raising her hand,” Rawding said.

Rawding also explained how the Air Force prepared him for his current role as a police officer at the University. He said that everything about the Air Force and the military in general is disciplined and very well-structured. Rawding said he enjoyed working with a diverse community of people from all over the world. He was able to take this experience and turn it into a success serving the campus community through his 15-year career as a police officer at the University.

“The Air Force taught me to never give up and prepared me with the necessary skills to always complete a successful mission,” Rawding said.

After his Air Force retirement, Rawding said law enforcement was always his end goal, and he knew that would be his next chapter. His youngest daughter was a high school senior and had applied to Penn State, so he decided to apply, too. Rawding was offered an employee position and his daughter was accepted as a student in the same week.

“I was looking for jobs on the East Coast so we could be closer to family. Everything ended up working out and we’ve been living in Pennsylvania for 15 years,” Rawding said.

Overall, Rawding is thankful for his experience in the Air Force.

“I always had a good job and training, and I had the opportunity to see the world,” he said.

Marine Corps Sgt. Jacob Fischer, veteran, information technology consultant at Penn State

Jake Fischer is an information technology consultant at Penn State. Prior to coming to the University, Fischer was enlisted in the Marine Corps for eight years and reached the rank of sergeant before his departure.

When Fischer was on the cusp of graduating from high school and choosing his next big step, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go to college or join the military. After careful consideration, he realized he needed to grow more as a professional and a student before he decided to go to college.

“I wasn’t a great student, and I knew the military could help teach me the discipline and dedication that I needed to excel in higher education,” Fischer recalled.

During his time in the Marine Corps, he had the chance to live all over the world and see things that he wouldn’t have had the chance to as a civilian. Fischer was deployed three times and traveled to Afghanistan, Spain and Italy. He also spent some time at sea on a ship in the Mediterranean.

Fischer said his deployments shaped his life in ways he never could have imagined. The time he spent in Afghanistan was some of the most formative years of his life.

“Going in as a kid, I did not know what to expect,” Fischer explained. “My time in the Marines helped me transition from a kid to a fully functioning adult and it gave me an appreciation for everything I have today.”

After eight years in the Marine Corps, Fischer decided he wanted a fresh start and decided to go back to college. He ultimately chose Penn State as his new home and has been at the University ever since.

When asked what he wishes more civilians understood about being in the armed forces, Fischer brought up the topic of sacrifice. He mentioned how hard it is being away from family and loved ones, and how hard it is to get that time back.

“I started dating my wife while I was still enlisted, and we barely saw each other. I remember we only had one Christmas together after dating for three years,” he said.

Now happily married with a daughter, Fischer expressed how much he appreciates the Marine Corps for making him the man he is today, but he is grateful he now has the opportunity to spend every day with his family.

Military appreciation at Penn State

Penn State is proud of its long-standing tradition of serving the men and women of our country’s military. This year the University was able to come together and honor members of our staff and faculty that have served or are currently serving. During this year’s Military Appreciation Week, members of the Penn State community came together to host a series of campus events that had a record turnout this year. As Penn State continues to honor the service of those who fight for our country, we are grateful to have a wonderful community to help and support during these efforts. Visit militaryappreciation.psu.edu to learn more about this year’s events and the profiles displayed of staff and faculty military members.