“Motivated” is a word that characterizes someone determined to go above and beyond to fulfill his interests. Likewise, this term perfectly defines and reflects the personality of William Carlson. From his love for cherished memories with family to passionate participation in athletics, his driven nature is seen in nearly all he does.

Carlson is a Business Administration Major with three emphases in organizational leadership, sports marketing and human resources. He is from Lucan, Minn., and has been involved in social activities ever since his childhood years.

“Yeah, I would say we spent… a lot of time together as… our immediate family, going down to the ball field or just going in the basement and playing kickball [and] board games around the house. I’m very family-oriented. My mom has a very big family, so we’d have… family gatherings.” His favored pastime of spending valuable time with his family has shaped his deep relationships with them and his close friends in athletics as he has advanced through life.

Carlson is one of the many Business Majors at Bethany. He chose to study his major here because this campus is close to home and emphasizes connections with others. Carlson said, “I feel like that’s kind of why I like Bethany, too, is because it’s pretty family and faith-based. I’m on the baseball team, so that gave me kind of that family feel that I’ve been used to. I graduated with a class of 48 people, so the small class size brought me here.

“I would say all the professors, at least in my classes,... get to know you on more of a personal level. If you have any questions, they’re very quick to answer. They all… answer your emails… [and] get to know you on a personal level more than at some bigger colleges.”

After enrolling in the Fall semester of 2020, Carlson has been heavily involved in Baseball during his entire career at Bethany. His team won the Upper Midwest Athletics Conference Championship in Baseball two years ago, proving their dominance in the sport. Most recently, he is involved with the Bible Study group on the Baseball team.

“I would say how to overcome adversity is a big one. I came from a smaller high school, so I… got a lot of playing time throughout my high school years and then came here. Time management’s a big one, just with class and… practice,” he said about what he has learned through his involvement in Baseball.

When asked about his career after college, Carlson said, “[I will] eventually close up on a house… and then just kind of work my way up in the company for the next few years. [In my] long term to be able to provide for my family, I want [to] eventually have kids and give them the kind of life that my parents were able to give me. And then giving back to the people… and organizations who have helped me throughout my years.”

Although he is very passionate about his career in the future and about his transformation throughout the year, there will be one key characteristic about Bethany that will be missed once he graduates in December. “I'm gonna miss… the opportunity to play collegiate sport [and] a lot of my teammates. That’s probably the biggest thing.”

Lastly, when asked for advice for underclassmen, Carlson said, “If you are just here to go to class, I would say definitely get involved in something; that doesn’t have to be a sport. It can be a club or anything like that, but it’s good to just… get your foot in the door [and] get to know more people. I think that’ll take you a long way throughout your college years.”