William went from being a little shy kid in the first grade in Phenix City to a young man that is now a leader of other young men. Through scouting, he has had a chance to travel to other states to serve and give back.

Wanting to be just like his older cousins in Boy Scouts, William began scouting as a Cub Scout in the first grade. As a Tiger Cub in Pack 105 in Phenix City, he worked through the ranks and later earned his Arrow of Light. After a few years as a Cub Scout, he crossed over to the Boy Scout troop where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

After three years in the Boy Scouts, William met the requirements to join the Order of the Arrow (OA), Scouting’s Honor Society and gladly completed his Ordeal in Spring of 2012. The OA is a youth-led service organization that builds the characteristics of scouting and cheerful service. In 2015, he was recognized with the Vigil Honor for his service and commitment to the order. In 2017, he was recognized with the Founder’s award, which is awarded to those who exemplify the ideals of the order and its founders.

Scouting and the OA have opened many opportunities for William as a young leader. Through his time in scouting, he has attended a National Jamboree in 2013 and National Order of the Arrow Conference in 2015, staffed the National Jamboree in 2017, and staffed the 2018 National Order of the Arrow Conference. He served locally on three years of summer camp aquatics staff at Camp FGL and attended the 2017 National Youth Leadership Training.

“Scouting and United Way have allowed me to meet many people and serve in countless roles that I otherwise would have never been able to. I consider myself a better leader and person due to my years in scouting. Thank you, United Way!” – William

Now nineteen years old, William is currently serving in his third term as the Chattahoochee Lodge Chief, which covers the Chattahoochee Valley and the Auburn-Opelika areas. He was recently elected to serve as the Section SR-9 Secretary, which covers most of Alabama and Georgia. He is currently a Junior at Auburn University where he is studying to attain a Bachelors degree in Biosystems Engineering. He has a COOP with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, a member of the Baja SAE design-build-race team. He is also treasurer of the Auburn Lutheran Fellowship.