Liam King ’21, a Hood College athlete and scholar, shares his thoughts…and his thanks…for alumni gifts that make his education at Hood College possible. 

What is your family background?
I am one of nine kids, and I’m also Hispanic. My mom came to the U.S. from Cuba when she was six years old, and my dad is of eastern European descent. I grew up here in Frederick, and I like my hometown.

How do you contribute to your own college expenses?
Being one of nine, there’s not a lot of college money to go around, so I’ve received many scholarships – about 75% of my expenses are covered through a total of about seven scholarships, and I pay for the rest. I cover some of it through my work as an RA in my dorm, and through student loans.

How have you contributed in your family life?
Growing up, I had a gap between my two front teeth that I never liked, but I didn’t get braces until I was older, because we couldn’t afford it. I got a job to help pay for it, and my brother did the same for his braces. I was 17 when I got the braces, and they were just taken off this past January, a couple of months after my 19th birthday.

What is significant about being an athlete at Hood?
Soccer gives me a group of people who love doing the same thing I do – a lot of my friendships branch from that. This past summer was the first time I had ever been on an airplane and went out of the country. I raised money for a year and a half to go on a trip to Ireland and England, where we played soccer and watched professional athletes in those countries. It was such an incredible trip, and I bonded with my teammates even more.

What are your goals after college?
I am majoring in  biology, because I’m planning to go into dentistry. I would like to attend the University of Maryland in Baltimore, which is one of the best dental schools in the country. I will spend a total of six more years in school after I graduate from Hood, because my ultimate goal is to be an orthodontist. I think it would be cool to help others feel good about how they look, the way my braces did for me.

If you could make an appeal to Hood alumni to contribute, what would you say?
I would ask them to think about all the wonderful people who are here, and all the little experiences that mean so much. Personally, I am grateful that the gifts from Hood alumni and friends support three important areas of my life: my academics, my athletic pursuits, and even my love of music. I have two scholarships that allow me to take vocal lessons here each week. As a future donor, I hope I can help make some of these kinds of things happen for students who follow me. If we all contribute, a lot gets done.

To make a gift to support students like Liam, click here.