The memorial park at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Fla., dedicated to a previous principal who passed away unexpectedly, was built by N.C. State junior diver Austin Hampton.
After being pushed by his parents to become an Eagle Scout, Hampton, who shared a close bond with his high school principal, spent many hours of community service completing the project.
“We had a deal in our family that if we [Austin and his two brothers] got our Eagle Scout rank, my parents would pay for our car and everything that goes along with it,” Hampton said. “I built the memorial, which the school has actually added on to recently. It meant a lot to me.”
He went on to receive the Eagle Scout rank — the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scout program — and a 2000 Toyota Camry. After achieving his goal, he even considered enlisting in the military with his older brother Marshall.
The weekend after his recruiting visit to State, Hampton took a trip to the Naval Academy to explore the possibilities of becoming a military man.
“I loved the family orientation here, and that’s what made me come to State instead of enlisting in the military,” Hampton said. “The team was awesome. The coaches were amazing, and I felt comfortable here.”
Hampton said he was really impressed with Mike Finneran, the diving coach at the time of his arrival, and shared a father-son-type relationship with him throughout his first two seasons at State.
Despite Finneran’s departure, Hampton had already formed a relationship with current coach Ted Hautau. Davidson College, where Hautau coached before coming to State, was one of Hampton’s possible college choices.
“I wanted to go to Davidson because of Ted,” Hampton said. “He is a very renowned coach in the world of diving.”
Hautau also expressed interest in Hampton, who holds the school record in three-meter diving. However, it wasn’t only his diving abilities that caught Hautau’s attention.
“I knew that he was a smart and dedicated student, so I knew he could handle the rigor of academics there [Davidson] and still be able to train hard in his sport,” Hautau said. “I really liked his speed and power.”
Hampton prides himself in his school work and believes a major in biomedical engineering will help him achieve his goal of becoming a CEO of a hospital in the future.
“Academics are very important to me,” he said. “My teammates would say I’m the biggest dork on the team. I have big ambitions, and I know in order for me to get there, academics are the only way.”
Hampton said to achieve his goals — in diving or in the real world — he must use what he has learned from past experiences.
“Being in ROTC and becoming an Eagle Scout taught me leadership,” Hampton said. “My past experiences and optimistic mindset are helping me get through college. You have to learn how to adapt to how everything is supposed to be.”
Hautau said one of Hampton’s strongest leadership attributes is his accountability.
“People know they can count on him,” Hautau said. “He is also fearless. He will step up and try things that are out of his comfort zone without much hesitation. He is well respected by his peers.”
