Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.

Tharptown senior William Washington has made a lot of good memories over his high school career by playing sports.

The 18-year-old athlete has been part of the school’s football, basketball and baseball teams and said he loves the competition aspect of sports.

“I am very competitive and I never like losing,” he said. “I always try to do the very best I can so that won’t happen.”

Giving it his all was something Washington did this past year during the baseball team’s area championship game against Hackleburg.

“That game was probably my favorite memory from high school,” he said. “I pitched the full game even though I have two bad shoulders and I’ve had to have surgery on them. I just pushed through, and we ended up winning that game and it was a great feeling.”

As Washington and the rest of his classmates from the Class of 2012 wind down the last few weeks of their senior year, he said he would miss all the people he had gone to school with since he transferred to Tharptown from Belgreen in the 10th grade.

“It will be strange not to see the same people on a daily basis,” he said. “Since this is a really small school, everyone is friends with each other. And I’ll miss the teachers, too, because they’re all so helpful here.”

After receiving his diploma in a few weeks, Washington said he was going to learn from the experiences of his older brother, Justin Thompson, and take some time before making a final decision about his future career.

“My brother has been going to college for four years and he still doesn’t know what he wants to do,” Washington said. “I’m still not 100 percent sure, so I plan to just work full time for a year before I go to college.”

Washington said he would keep working at Staggs Environmental Construction, a company that puts in underground utilities for cities, where he currently works part-time.

“After I work there, I hope to go to college at Northwest-Shoals and get a trade either in welding or as a machinist.”

Washington took career technology classes before transferring to Tharptown and said he thought it would be something he would enjoy.

“I’ve always wanted to work with my hands,” he said. “I know I wouldn’t like sitting behind a desk all day in an office so I think being a welder or a machinist would be something I could do well.”

Once he has his career in place, Washington said he wanted to settle down in Franklin County.

“Franklin County is where I’ve always lived – where I grew up, and it’s just home to me,” he said. “All my family lives here and everyone knows you.”

But before he gets started on that next chapter of his life, Washington said he hoped to spend some time this summer doing the things he enjoys the most: playing golf, hanging out with friends and fishing, both freshwater and saltwater.

“I really can’t believe it’s already time for graduation,” he said. “People shouldn’t take their time in high school for granted because it will be over with before you know it and then you’re in the real world. Enjoy it while you can.”

Washington is the son of Keith and Lisa Washington.