William Kim

I'm almost 27 and my life is nothing like I expected. A decade ago I was 17; I obtained my GED while working a minimum wage job at Target, then Game Stop, all the while moonlighting as a community college student. Once I realized I was focusing my priorities on a job that had me living month to month rather than educating myself full time something needed to change. I joined the US Army as an Infantryman (11B) in February 2005 and was selected (based on the high ASVAB scores, MOS, and my height) for the Old Guard while in Basic Training at Ft. Benning, GA.

After over 300 ceremonial missions, three promotions, a leadership position, and a 15 month deployment to East Africa I found myself in the California National Guard (CANG) while I attended college at Mesa Community College in beautiful San Diego, CA. I attained my AS in Business Administration and co-founded one of the first Student Veteran Unions in Southern California. During my stint as a Veteran's Advocate I held leadership positions at the Mesa SVU and was the Regional Director for Southern California for the SVA.

Now it's 2012 and I'm living in Orlando, Fl attening Full Sail University for a BS in Entertainment Business. I maintain a GPA over 3.6 and have received a few course director awards. Graduation is right around the corner, September 28th, and I'm hungry for the next step. I lead by example, and in the words of my section sergeant in the CANG "work harder on break than most when they're working hard". I live by the motto "My name is my credit", which I keep at the forefront of my mind when working on any project. My name is William Kim and I've redefined who I am in less than a decade: From Underdog to Self-made, from Soldier to Team Leader, and from Infantryman to Veteran to Student I'm ready for whatever is next.