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William McPhail Jr

1,435

Bold Points

2x

Nominee

2x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

I am William McPhail Jr., a first-generation Senior Criminal Justice major. I double minor in English and Sociology with a concentration in legal studies. Since childhood, I've been determined to become an attorney to support my family and make meaningful changes within the black community. I have shown my dedication to my educational career in my extracurriculars. I served as the Student Government Associate's Vice President of External Affairs, Blackstone Pre Law Society's President, and Member of the 13th Cohort for the PVAMU Honors program. I host voter education events to promote voting among the black community's youth, demonstrating my commitment to my education and community. However, there is a stark reality behind these positions. I am a first-generation college student from a single-parent household, where my mother also has to support my two younger siblings. The financial burden of my education is significant. The impact of this scholarship on my family would be profound, as it would alleviate my mother's economic pressure and allow her to focus on our collective future. Scholarships are not just a way to fund my education, but a lifeline for my family.

Education

Prairie View A & M University

Bachelor's degree program
2022 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Law
    • Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
  • Minors:
    • Sociology
    • English Language and Literature, General

Arlington Collegiate H S

High School
2018 - 2022

Tarrant County College District

Associate's degree program
2018 - 2022

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
    • Law
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Law Practice

    • Dream career goals:

      Lawyer

    • City Intern

      Prairie View City Government
      2024 – 2024
    • Governmental Affairs Intern

      Apple Inc.
      2024 – Present10 months

    Sports

    basketball

    Club
    2016 – 20182 years

    Awards

    • most improved

    Arts

    • independent

      Music
      school
      2014 – 2018

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Mission Arlington — volunteer
      2017 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Politics

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Entrepreneurship

    Bold Study Strategies Scholarship
    People say you cannot listen to music and do homework, but my entire school career disagrees with that. I understand multitasking is a myth, and rather than our brain evenly dividing our attention to multiple things, we give most of our attention to one thing and switch continuously. But this is exactly why studying and doing homework with music has helped me achieve academic success. The truth is, some classes are boring. I enjoy learning, but if I was read chapters on plant structures as a kid, my parents would have no problem putting me to sleep. To counter this, I listen to music. Music served two purposes. First, I grew up in a busy household that was very noisy. There was no private space for homework, so I was putting more effort into focusing than actually doing my work. The music conglomerates the ruckus into one sound that I've learned to ignore. The second purpose is to keep me entertained. Getting fatigued while studying is the biggest demotivator. The music catches me and fuels me to continue working. In every study method I've seen, they encourage short breaks. This is exactly what I am doing. Some breaks are thirty seconds others are a full three minutes. I am not the only one to do this either. Bobby Fischer, Chess Grandmaster and Chess World Champion from 1972-1975, said he listened to rock music to study Chess. Chess! A game where you have endless options resulting in long spouts of concentration, he studied while listening to one of the grungiest, noisy, and combustious music genres.
    "If You Believe..." Scholarship
    Winner
    My why has to do with the bettering of myself and my community. As the firstborn of a teen mom; who left for work when the sun rose and returned when it left, I have been tasked with the supervision of my two younger siblings. My father was not around to pick up what my mom could not, so starting from a young age, I stepped up. Not to take away from her, if we could see responsibility, she was benching 800. I was also a role model to my younger siblings. Since elementary, I have been in leadership programs, gifted and talented and, other clubs to inspire them to do better. As they are doing their homework, I am doing mines to poke at their curiosity; to show them that their education is dire. I did everything in school to expose them to everything so that even if school was not in their future, an instrument or sports could be. Because of this, and that I take on everything myself, I became stressed and anxious. I felt a lot of pressure from everyone around me to be the best. I had a reputation to uphold in the eyes of my mother, siblings, teachers, and other individuals who believed in me. My mother had to rely on me because I was her last resort; my siblings had to rely on me without knowing it because they did not know any better. I did not talk to anyone about my stress and emotions because I felt like a burden every time my mother spent money on me, I felt like a burden every time I ate the last of the cereal, I felt like a burden every time I forgot to take out the trash. Getting into the high school I am at now has helped me redevelop my skills. It took me a lot of time and effort, but as more work came the, more confident I became in myself to complete the tasks at hand. I learned a lot from my past experiences. I do not have to do everything myself, others are willing to help, and my mental health should be my top priority because getting overwhelmed and crashing will bring everything I have worked towards to a halt as they crash with me. I have not only bettered myself. I am an active member in my community, excluding this past year for safety, and I have accepted more responsibility. Being inspirational and helping others has been integrated into my personality since I was a toddler. I have seen the positive impacts that come from helping others and being a role model in someone else's eyes. It brings me an unmatched joy when I can help someone whether it be with math, life, or even where to go. It has been for these reasons that I have been elected class president for the last two years. I have used this platform to continue helping others get through the stress that comes with life.