William Allen Young
The Young Center
Los Angeles, CA USA
"You grew up with little control. You didn't select your parents, your house, your school, or even what you were going to wear. But you now have the power to construct your world--and it doesn't have to look like your father's world. Realize you can create whatever world you want."
Career Roadmap
William Allen's work combines: Acting & Theatre, Entrepreneurship, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
University of Southern California
Graduate Degree
Linguistics
University of Southern California
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Raised in public housing by a mother who worked to the bone as a maid to raise 7 children.
2.
Learned the importance of education from his mother; she dropped out of school young and was adamant that her children have a better life.
3.
Got As in school even though the civil rights movement was erupting into violent race riots around him.
4.
Never used his circumstances as an excuse to not accomplish things; graduated from USC and went on to get a master's in sociolinguistics.
5.
Now an award-winning actor who has had roles in District 9, CSI, Moesha, and many more.
6.
Says his strength is that he comes from very little. He doesn't edit his story; he's empowered by it.
7.
Believes everyone has the power to shape their own destiny, even if they come from hardship; use challenge to propel you.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I think that reality hit us a lot earlier. When I was a kid I was young but the Watts riots happened. I remember just watching our neighborhood on fire.