A simple Sunday-morning tradition has shaped William Leisk's future--and it may lead him from England to Birmingham, Alabama.

As a child, William, the youngest of three, accompanied his mother to car boot sales in their native England. If Fiona Leisk spotted an intriguing piece, she would point it out to her son and explain why it was of interest. William, now 17, says those morning trips created a love of antiques that remains eight years later.

"I have always had a deep interest in history and enjoy hunting out antiques whenever and wherever I can," says his mother, Fiona Leisk, via email. "He has actually taught me most about ceramics and his knowledge goes beyond that of a general collector."

A preteen William soon became an antiques collector, spending PS1 or PS2 at a time on small pieces of Jasperware, a type of pottery created by Josiah Wedgwood.

"There had been a report in the news about financial problems in the company," Williams says, also in an email. "I decided that Wedgwood pieces may increase in value as a result."

He soon became obsessed with the work, which is often pale blue with white relief figures. William saw an opportunity to buy more and better pieces by becoming an entrepreneur; he purchased vegetable seeds, grew them and sold the plants to support his hobby. As he collected more Jasperware and other pieces of Wedgwood pottery, William's interest continued to grow. He began reading books on the company and its founder and, through the internet, developed friendships with collectors around the world.

"Virtually all my free time is spent either looking for pieces on eBay or discussing Wedgwood with my fellow collectors," William says, who is now a college-level business student. "I am frequently asking my parents for help in buying items; I usually pay them back from my wages at the end of the month, but sometimes I forget."

William joined many of his associates at the 2016 Wedgwood International Seminar, a multi-day event held in London. With a little persuasion, his parents paid for their son to attend.

"William's father and I were very nervous about him going to the seminar. It was the furthest and longest he'd been away from us," says Fiona Leisk. William lives in Colchester, Essex, which is about 65 miles from London. "But he surprised us by joining in with all the rather grown up activities--banquets, black-tie dinners and cocktail parties. But more so, he attended all the academic lectures and soaked up all the information and knowledge. He really matured during the trip."

The seminar wasn't just an opportunity to share his passion with fellow collectors. While in London, William met Anne Forschler-Tarrasch of the Birmingham Museum of Art. Forschler-Tarrasch is the museum's chief curator and curator of decorative arts--which means she oversees the largest collection of Wedgwood pottery outside of England.

Forschler-Tarrasch says the seminar's attendees took William under their wings. He celebrated his 17th birthday a month prior to the April conference, and he attended the event and stayed at the hotel by himself.

As she got to know William, whose collection now includes 100 pieces of Wedgwood, Forschler-Tarrasch saw an opportunity. BMA regularly offers internships, typically to undergraduate and graduate students. What if William traveled to the States to work with BMA's Wedgwood collection?

"The first thing I did was text my Mum and Dad, who were as excited as me," William says.

"I had to sit down, my body tingling," Fiona Leisk recalls. Thoughts rushed through her mind, including, "Oh my God! We have to make this happen for him."

It will take saving for William to see that dream to fruition, and he would be 18 by the time he arrives in Birmingham next summer. Although that's younger than the typical museum intern, Forschler-Tarrasch says the experience would be mutually beneficial.

The internship would include cataloging and documentation. "He would be perfect for that because he already knows Wedgwood. He could contribute a lot but learn a lot," she says. "He is a little on the young side, but he brings a knowledge that most kids his age don't have about a particular aspect of our collection."

William is eager to transform his hobby into a vocation.

"I already have shelves of reference books about the pottery but nothing will compare with actually seeing and handling the precious items," William says.

Between now and then, William will save money from his weekend job at a local antique centre. He's also launched a GoFundMe page to supplement his and his parents' efforts. The Leisks have told their son they'll support him as much as they're able, and Fiona Leisk is excited for her son's future.

"For him to be able to work with such a famous collection of Wedgwood is amazing," she says. "We will certainly be very nervous with William so far away, getting to know a different country. We hope the strangers he meets become lifelong friends."

LEARN MORE

Learn more about William Leisk and his fundraising efforts on his GoFundMe page.