Hometown: Jamesville, NY
Major: Mechanical Engineering
University: University of Vermont
Growing up in a family of engineers and scientist, the concept of building, innovating, researching, and creating has always come second nature to Will. He truly believes that his family ignited that passion for STEM in him. His greatest inspiration, however, has always been his grandfather, Monroe. Even after his passing, he continues to inspire Will to be relentless in the things that he wants to pursue. He taught him the power of storytelling and that with hard work and persistence you can do anything you set your mind to. Having served as a bomber pilot in WWII, his grandfather also instilled Will’s passion and inspiration to get his pilot’s license.
Fun Fact: Will passed the FAA Private Pilot test the fall of his senior year! He trained very hard for it for nearly 4 years.
Becoming an alliantgroup STEM Scholarship recipient has been very meaningful for Will. He mentions that this scholarship has made him reflect on his high school career and he is thankful for the scholarship application process because he feels that writing the essay and making the video made him think critically about his experiences, accomplishments, and the setbacks he has had these last four years. He believes that this type of exercise is an important lesson in humility, gratification, and perseverance for anyone graduating high school who is about to start a new chapter in their life. When he found out he won, he knew that all of his hard work was starting to pay off.
This fall, William will be attending the University of Vermont to study Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, he hopes to one-day work at a space / transportation company such as NASA, Boeing, or Airbus and hopes to make a difference in the world of transportation technology.
