William’s Story
Driven. Industrious. Intelligent.
William’s devotion to serving others has set him on a path to healing those in need. As a Biochemistry and Pre-Medicine student who plans to attend medical school, he hopes to one day treat cancer patients with skilled and tender care, all in the hopes that he can keep families together as long as possible.
Becoming an oncologist is even more important to William after watching his 64-year-old father battle cancer for over a decade, all while rarely missing a shift at the chemical factory that dominates their eastern Tennessee town. Even during chemotherapy, William’s father worked 12-to-16 hour shifts, six days a week, while his mother ran an online business and raised foster children at home.
Although William’s father’s hard-won wages help keep their household going, his labor doesn’t come without a cost. William says, “I’m used to seeing Dad really worn down. Mom and my sisters, too. Hard work is something you always see around my house, everyone does their fair share. There’s no other option.”
And William is no stranger to his share of labor. By the time he was old enough to get his driver’s license, he was already working
William Class of 2022
more than 40 hours a week at two jobs while still playing varsity soccer, representing his classmates in student government, and maintaining his grades so rigorously that he would become valedictorian of his class. He often sacrificed nights of fun with his friends and squeezed in quality time with his siblings between shifts.
Fortunately, William’s drive and follow-through led him to becoming the first in his family to attend college. William is able to pursue his passion for serving others as an oncologist because of Berea College and generous donations from friends and alumni like you. William says, “College gives me the skillsets to help make sure families stay together. If I could save one person—that’s the dream—and make my parents proud, to show that their investment in me saved other people’s lives too, not only mine.”