Meet the Philipsburg-Osceola seniors who earned Snyder Awards as stars in sports, school
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2022 Snyder Awards
The James H. Snyder Awards are given annually in memory of Snyder, a former Centre Daily Times sports editor who was killed in an automobile crash in December of 1957. Stories on all of Centre County’s Snyder Award winners will run together in print on June 12, after they’re all announced.
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Two Philipsburg-Osceola student-athletes earned a Snyder Award on Tuesday night.
Jeremy Whitehead and Paige Jarrett were named Philipsburg-Osceola’s Snyder Awards winners after excelling in academics, athletics and in their community.
Whitehead and Jarrett were excited to have won the award, crediting their school for shaping them into the student-athletes that they are today.
“I feel honored that I was able and I was selected to win this award,” Whitehead said. “I know in the past, all the great people who’ve won and how much it means to so many people and how it just shows what a great athlete I’ve tried to be and a great person. And I was just honored to be selected.”
“I am very appreciative of it (Snyder Award) and it makes me feel like I put all of my time and effort into it for all of my schoolwork and sports,” Jarrett said.
The James H. Snyder Awards are given in memory of Snyder, a former Centre Daily Times sports editor who was killed in an automobile crash in December 1957. The awards have become an annual county staple celebrating the community’s young leaders — a pair of seniors from each of the county’s five public high schools plus Saint Joseph’s who embrace academics, athletics and community service.
Whitehead played basketball and baseball for the entirety of his time during high school. He also played football early in his career. He enjoyed spending time with his teammates and building strong relationships.
“Just being able to hang out with so many great teammates and have so many great memories with all of the coaches that I’ve had the last couple of years has been an awesome ride,” Whitehead said. “I wouldn’t change any of it.”
Jarrett played volleyball and softball at P-O. With the volleyball team, she won two district championships in 2020 and 2021. She also made a state championship appearance in 2021 — a moment that she’ll never forget.
“Making it to a state finals and having an undefeated season up until that point, meant a lot to me,” Jarrett said. “It made me feel very grateful that I put all of my time, effort and dedication into it. It was very worth it.”
Whitehead specifically enjoys math — a subject that is known to stump many. It’s the subject that shaped his love of academics.
“I’ve always been great at math and it’s really fun, especially with all of the great teachers in our school,” Whitehead said. “One of my favorite academic achievements is to get into the National Honor Society. I feel like that’s a pretty big thing that I was able to achieve during my academic career.”
Both Whitehead and Jarrett were inducted into the National Honor Society for their academic achievements.
“I’d say that my biggest accomplishment was getting inducted into the National Honor Society and staying on high honor roll for all four years of high school,” Jarrett said. “Tonight was great. I was acknowledged for all of my school work and awards.”
With the sun setting on their high school careers, each look to join the medical field.
Whitehead will be pursuing a doctorate at the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy. He has a goal to improve the place that he’s lived for much of his life.
“I want to become a licensed pharmacist and one day return to Philipsburg and be able to be a pharmacist here,” Whitehead said. “I’ve always liked math and science. I’ve always looked into something with that in the medical field. I feel like it’s a great balance and a good career. If I’m able to finish that, it’ll set me up for the rest of my life.”
Jarrett will stay closer to home, attending Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Pa. She will study nursing and is looking forward to working with children. She will also be playing volleyball.
“I want to become a nurse practitioner,” Jarrett said. “I don’t know where yet, but I probably want to do something with kids. I love helping others, especially children.”
As students at P-O, both felt that the school and community as a whole shaped them.
“It means everything,” Whitehead said of his time at Philipsburg-Osceola. “I feel like it’s the most fun that I’ve had in my entire life and it could be the most fun that I have in my entire life. Everyone that’s been around — whether it’s my friends or teachers or everyone that’s helped me — it’s really been awesome. Everything from the sports, to going to school everyday is fun and learning so much. I’ve been honored to do it with great people around me.”
“It was definitely one of the best times,” Jarrett said of her time in high school. “People always say that high school is the best time of your life and it definitely was a lot of fun. I’ll look back at it and miss it eventually, once it’s over after next week.”
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 10:46 PM.
