Student Spotlight: William Gallion

16-year-old William Gallion is a sophomore at Lincoln Park High School. He has always lived in Chicago – a city he loves – but he says it could be better if we “cut down on the violence” and “clean up the budget.” After traveling to places in the south like Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia, he looks forward to moving out eventually.

In school, William’s favorite subjects are Spanish and U.S. History. He has studied Spanish for more than five years! His least favorite subject is music. He plans to get better by finding someone to tutor him. (Any musicians in the house?) At school, he is also on the football team. He plays on the offensive and defensive lines and sometimes running back. In sports, he says, “you learn teamwork, sportsmanship, courage, and leadership.” He hopes to continue playing sports in college.

William wants to major in business at Georgetown University, the alma mater of one of his favorite basketball players, Allen Iverson. He would like to pursue a career in the professional sports world either in football or pro wrestling.

A friend’s mom recommended Cabrini Connections to William a few years ago and he has been with us ever since. He likes our program and he says that his mentor, Joe Alverson, who he works with on Thursday nights, is “great.” They usually work on math and his tip for mentors is to “keep a positive attitude.”

William has two brothers, which he says is horrible. (“I have no freedom.”) He listens to mostly rap and his favorite afterschool spot is 7-Eleven. Did I mention he has a good sense of humor? He is also a huge sports fan. His predictions for the NBA quarterfinals are Orlando, Cleveland, Denver, and Dallas, and he will be rooting for the east in the finals. As for the Bulls? “I don’t think they make it past the first round.”

We’ll see, William. Thanks for the predictions and thanks for being a great mentee.