An Eagle Scout and a Black Belt in Kung Fu, Orange High School senior William Deaton has set the bar high for himself when it comes to personal and academic growth. Taking all AP classes this year, including economics and calculus, William is college bound with a grade point average of 4.65, planning to major in economics and business administration this fall at UCI.
The good news for the local community is that William wants to bring his skills back to Orange after graduation, with his sights set on helping his father expand his construction company, OCC Construction.
For William, following in his father’s footsteps makes perfect sense. He says his greatest inspirations in life are his parents and his sister.
“My parents immigrated from South Vietnam, and they struggled,” recounted William. “My dad worked hard night and day to support my family. He helped me learn to work harder, and I want to be like him. My sister, Katherine, 24, has been a role model and taught me to be an achiever in school.”
In addition to the positive influences of his family, William cites martial arts as his pathway to success and self discipline.
Taking four years to achieve his black belt, William now teaches younger students the practice.
“After you become a black belt, you are asked to teach the younger generation. It’s actually a lot harder to teach than it is to learn, and you really have to know what you’re doing.”
At school, William participates in several clubs, serving on the board of One Club, which helps raise awareness about difficulties in third-world countries. They recently gathered 300 donated books to give to the Invisible Children organization. He’s also on the board of the school’s Red Cross club, assisting with blood drives on campus.
Recently, William began an ROP internship at the City of Orange Public Works Department, obtaining a behind the scenes look at City Hall.
“Gregory Warren is my supervisor at the City, and he’s going to be spending time teaching me more things after spring break,” William said. “He’s a really great guy and told me if I want to learn more about the finance, construction and engineering aspects of the department, he’d teach me. I’m learning more as I am given more responsibility.”
