Louisiana Man 'Pushes Forward' to Get His Degree

Oct 02, 2015

“Where I’m from, not many people believe they can achieve things, but, between me and you, we can do anything we put our minds to,” said William Hill, 24, of Minden, Louisiana.

Hill was just a year shy of graduating with a nursing degree from Southern Arkansas University when his unit deployed to Afghanistan. There he spent his days working as a construction electrician with the Navy Seabees.

… But he’s not giving up on his education just yet.

“I accepted my fate and completed our mission,” said Hill. “Now I’m about to complete my original mission of getting my degree.”

Thanks to a VFW “Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship,” Hill is back in school and on the fast-track to graduation.

“It’s such a blessing to have people believe in you and your dreams,” said Hill. “I cannot say ‘thank you’ enough to the people who made this possible for me.”

Hill’s dream is to work as a nurse in Intensive Care.

“I feel like, with my demeanor, I can handle critical situations, whether that's out on the field or in the hospital,” said Hill.

A man who joined the military in order to help others, and is dedicating his career to doing the same, he’s grateful that others reached out to help him.

“Thank you to everyone who contributes to the VFW and this scholarship,” said Hill. “I want everyone to take a lesson from me. If I can do it, everyone can. Just keep pushing forward.”

Help A Hero scholarships are awarded twice throughout the year exclusively to service members and veterans and help cover the cost of tuition and fees. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2016 spring semester. For more information on the Help A Hero Scholarship program or to apply, click here.