The University of Wyoming Synergy Program gave William White the tools and support he needed to be successful in college and his career, and so he has given back to the program in the hopes others would receive the same opportunities.
“The Synergy Program was a huge help for me,” says William. “Turned out to be one of the most important things [UW] could have done for me because I got to be exposed to teachers who cared. The people in the Synergy Program really, really care and are there to try and help you succeed. And once I realized they cared and that there were avenues for me to succeed, then I really put the effort in. I knew how much it helped me, and I just wanted to help the program give back.”
When William White was younger, he had some bad experiences in public schools, so he was educated at home. Born and raised in Iowa, he decided to head to LA when he was 18 for a change of scenery. He worked there for several years and then a friend took him on a hunting trip to the Pinedale area of Wyoming. There, William met a geologist who ran a business out of his home.
He fell in love with Wyoming and the Green River Lakes area and was curious about the environment. He asked a lot of questions and wanted to know how the world was put together. As he headed back to California, he told himself that one day he would return to Wyoming.
One evening after work, William went to his friend’s house. His friend opened the door and told him that he had figured out William’s future. Intrigued, he sat down and listened. This friend and the one in Pinedale were impressed with William’s observation and curiosity, and they thought he would benefit from a higher education. William’s main goal was to have a job that paid well and allowed him to work 30 days on and 30 days off—the industry he could find that in was energy. They convinced him to move to Wyoming and to find a job in the oil fields. After a few years, he could apply to UW to continue his education. William sold his car and bought a truck and headed to the Jonah Field. He knocked on rig doors until he found one that was hiring, and step one of the plan was completed.
One day while he was in the area, he decided to make an in-person visit to campus. He had never seen the UW campus before, but he instantly fell in love. He popped in to Admissions so that he could put a face with the name of the person he had been in contact with. After chatting for about an hour, he was accepted conditionally to the university.
William still had struggles when it came to school, including not knowing how to write an essay and only having basic math skills. He was majoring in geology, and he needed calculus II to graduate. Starting with math 900, he worked his way up. He was also diagnosed with a learning disability, but that didn’t slow him down. Once he knew what hurdles he had to overcome, he worked hard to achieve his goals.
Having help along the way also encouraged him to do his best. Not only did the Synergy Program make an impact on William but so did his professors and other places on campus such as the Writing Center.
“You get to know one teacher and you get to know another, then you see them over and over again,” explains William. “It’s not like you see a teacher once and never see them again. You get a lot more personal time with them. You get to know your professors. You get to talk to them. They help you out a lot. That’s really nice.”
William graduated from UW with a bachelor’s in geology in 2013. For the past two and a half years, he’s worked for ExxonMobil as an operations geologist. Currently, he travels to South America to work on an offshore oil rig for 28 days, then he gets 28 days off—the job he always wanted.
“I really like how engaging [my job] is,” says William. “Every job I’ve ever had, after about 6 months, I’ve figured it out, and then I just go into autopilot. This job, I’m working with people who have been doing it for 35 years, and we’re still trying to figure stuff out, we’re still learning, we’re still engaged.”
William was able to overcome numerous hurdles to reach his full potential. With assistance from people and services on campus along the way who really cared about him and his progress, he put in the effort to be successful. Because of this, his career takes him to new places and let him experience the world. He, in turn, has the opportunity to give back to the Synergy Program, and he’s been more than happy to do so.
