With drive and determination, a lot can be accomplished.

A native of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Missouri State University senior Whitney Farrington has both characteristics. Juggling her marketing (advertising and promotion) and Master of Business Administration studies, commitments as a member of the university’s women’s Track and Field team and athletics-related extracurricular activities, Farrington is ready to finish the race strong.

Becoming a Bear

She chose Missouri State as her top athletic choice due to its welcoming atmosphere and close-knit community.

“A lot of people I talk to about Missouri State don’t realize its population rivals that of nearby big schools. Yet, it has been able to create a connected and intentional environment,” Farrington said.

She began college as a graphic design major but switched to marketing and advertising for a more practical way to apply her creativity.

“I knew I wanted to pursue leadership opportunities and the chance to work for a big-name company, while still doing what I love. My major is the best of both worlds,” she said.

Her courses have confirmed that choice and prepared her well for her future career. She experienced this firsthand this summer during an internship at the John Knox Village retirement community in Kansas City, Missouri.

“What I’ve learned in my marketing and advertising classes, I was applying daily to my internship,” said Farrington, who also runs a small business called Darling Disco.

Competing at the collegiate level

Since the eighth grade, she has ran track. The upcoming season is her ninth and final season.

“Running track has become a part of my identity, so I knew I wanted to run in college,” she said.

Farrington committed to Missouri State’s team in April 2022. She has been competing in the 400-meter dash and 4×4 relay since her freshman year and has built a successful collegiate track career.

She reached the finals at Outdoor Conference in the 400-meter dash as a sophomore, placing fifth, and junior placing fourth. She also finished second in the 4×4 relay her junior year, winning her first college medal. Her personal record in Outdoor Conference for the 400-meter dash is 54.8 seconds.

According to Farrington, her favorite part about running for Missouri State is the community she has gained from her coaches and teammates.

“This experience is as much a personal journey as it is a family and a sisterhood, since we travel and compete together throughout the spring,” she said.

Thanks to support from the College of Business, she has thrived in balancing both her academics and athletics.

“Both my athletics and academic advisors have been great in helping me manage my course load, keeping me at 12 credit hours each semester, so I can do both,” she said.

Representing student-athletes

At Missouri State, Farrington is part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which supports and encourages each student-athlete toward achieving his/her best performance academically, athletically and socially. She is currently the committee’s vice president and previously served as marketing chair.

Her involvement in SAAC opened doors for her to get more involved in Conference USA (CUSA), the athletics conference Missouri State officially joined this summer. She is both the Missouri CUSA representative and CUSA SAAC secretary.

Each year, two SAAC athletes get to represent the university in CUSA. Eager to take on leadership roles and stay involved, Farrington pursued this opportunity.

“I want to learn more about SAAC and how we can improve,” she said. “With athletics and the university making big changes to join a new conference this year, I want to be a part of that change.”

After applying and getting selected, Farrington and another student-athlete traveled to Dallas, Texas, for a weekend in July for the summer CUSA SAAC meeting. There, she got to meet CUSA staff, talk about NCAA policies, sports gambling and athletes’ mental health.

“The conference wants to understand the student-athlete experience at each college, so they know how to share resources and support coaches and staff in helping athletes be their best,” Farrington said.

For her, the highlight of the weekend was discussing student-athlete issues with people who understood and cared, and who were educated.

“Being a student-athlete isn’t just about competing but about using our platform to create change within the university and our teams while we have this voice — that was very eye-opening for me,” Farrington said.

Looking ahead

She will graduate with her bachelor’s degree in May 2026 and her MBA in May 2027.

Her career goal is to find a position with growth and leadership opportunities. While working in a job related to college athletics would be ideal, Farrington remains open to other paths.

She believes Missouri State has been a reflection of the real world.

“My classes relate to what I hope to do in my career, and my extracurriculars are translating into that as well,” she said. “Beyond that, my daily experiences have taught me how to grow up and be an adult.”

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