William Hill DNP is passionate about making a difference in his community and among his peers. He was a proud service member of the United States Navy for 13 years. Being in the Navy provided William with more opportunities to learn and grow. It gave him a reason to go to military drills on the weekends and make extra money while taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to him as a serviceman.
In 2010, while still in the Navy, William enrolled in school to become a phlebotomist and received his certification in Louisiana. He then joined a nursing program and continued working as a student nurse and a phlebotomist during weekends and evenings.
The nursing program gave him the opportunity to transition into being a patient care tech at the VA hospital. He continued working full-time and attended nursing school until he was deployed to Afghanistan in the Navy Reserves for the last years of his deployment, from 2013 to 2014.
William Hill was determined to finish his college career while on deployment. He skipped a year of college while in the Navy Reserves but returned and did not fail any courses. Despite battling PTSD during this time, William persevered and graduated with his nursing degree in 2015.
Growing up in a rural community, he was determined to make something of himself - the first generation from his family to attend and graduate from college. After graduation, his determination and steadfast approach to life led him to an incredible career as an ICU nurse.
His parents were humble chicken farmers who instilled the value of hard work within him when he didn’t have much. William recognized that he had few opportunities where he grew up, and the school was his way of giving back and helping provide more job opportunities. This motivation led him to open his school Uncharted Territory Solutions, in 2019.
“There’s always something that will come up; staying determined and realizing what my actual goal is, is what gave me motivation.”
William was determined to continue his college career and never gave up. For each new degree, there were unique obstacles and challenges to be faced. “There’s always something that will come up; staying determined and realizing what my actual goal is, is what gave me motivation” William said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Williams's military training kicked in, and he treated the disaster like his deployment. After his experience in Afghanistan, he felt mentally prepared to do all he could to help. Using his government connections, he traveled all over the country where COVID-19 was the worst and worked as a COVID ICU RN.
“All the different obstacles are motivation, even the people around you, that don’t necessarily want you to succeed; you have to push through those to succeed. If you want it, you got to go get it; that has always been my mentality.”
For William, working is his motivation. “All the different obstacles are motivation, even the people around you, that don’t necessarily want you to succeed; you have to push through those to succeed. If you want it, you got to go get it; that has always been my mentality.” - William Hill DNP.
After his own struggles with PTSD, William realized there was a need to help the underlying mental health issues in the minority community. This motivation led him to return to school again. William recently completed his Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry last December.
“Most people may have a GED or high school diploma; what sets you apart? Maybe an entry-level credential propels and motivates you to obtain a degree. Certificates matter; someone has to do it. Look at it as a stepping stone for where you must go.” William said when discussing advice for his students.
“Most people may have a GED or high school diploma; what sets you apart?"
As someone who started from humble beginnings, William never stopped working hard and never gave up. He is a first-generation college graduate and the first person with a doctorate degree in his family. He owns and has operated his own clinical practice as a psychiatric DNP for the last two years, and he did it all before he was 33 years old.
William knows the importance of education, and as a mentor to his students, he encourages them to pursue higher learning. He commits fully with the dedication to make these sacrifices worth it. With hard work and perseverance comes reward: finishing school provides valuable credentials that will benefit everyone.
“You don’t have to go to our school, but you need to go to some school, and you have to finish, don’t start then not finish. Some people realize the work you got to put in and then back out. But it's worth it. Sacrifice, even if you have kids, it can be tough, but it's worth it. If you can just sacrifice and do what you can to actually complete it, you will look back and have a credential that actually matters.”
William Hill DNP is looking to make a difference in the industry by providing quality care and inspiring future generations of nurses. With his passion for helping others, there's no doubt that William will continue leading the way on this uncharted path of healthcare excellence.
Breann Kakacek, BSN, RN, is a writer at Dreambound. She has been a RN for more than 8 years and a CNA for 2 years. She has worked in medical ICU, cardiovascular ICU and moonlighted in the OR as a circulating nurse. She has a passion for writing and enjoys sharing her nursing knowledge.