By Emma Godwin, Golden LEAF External Affairs Intern
Golden LEAF Scholar Alumnus Jeffrey Wilkins grew up in the small town of Micro located in Johnston County, where no one was a stranger.
“Growing up in Micro was very rural and quiet,” said Wilkins. “We lived next to a farm. It was the kind of place you rode bikes and played outside. I was a bike ride away from downtown Micro, in a town where you know everybody.”
His roots in a rural area and his respect for his hard-working family helped him choose his career path and major for college.
“I chose the path I am currently on because my dad worked on construction his whole life,” said Wilkins. “He was a foreman/superintendent, and he told me to be ‘smarter than he was and stay out of the physical aspect of construction’. He was the one who guided me to Civil Engineering.”
Wilkins researched colleges to see which ones were the best for Engineering majors and found that NC State was one of the top engineering colleges in the country.
“I liked that NC State was closer to home, and I could stay near my friends,” said Wilkins. “I had high school friends going to North Carolina colleges, and I knew if I went out of state, I probably would not have seen them as much. The real deciding factor was the ranking of NC State’s Engineering program and its proximity to my hometown.”
NC State fostered networks and provided him with opportunities for growth.
“NC State was a whole different world,” said Wilkins. “There were so many people, and so many opportunities to meet people and have experiences that you would not have in a small town.”
In his networking through his Civil Engineering major, Wilkins found the connections he made in college helped lead him to his current career.
“I knew I was going to go into Civil Engineering,” said Wilkins, “that was my goal the whole time, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after graduation. Two of my friends told me that they were going to work at the North Carolina Department of Transportation like their dads. Once they told me more about it, I was interested in the work. That’s how I was recruited into working with the Department of Transportation, and now I also get to work with my buddies.”
Wilkins has been in his current role at the NC Department of Transportation for almost a year, as Wayne County Maintenance Engineer (Engineering Supervisor I), but has been with the NC Department of Transportation for over three years now.
“I am in charge of all the road maintenance in Wayne County,” said Wilkins. “I work with anything within NC Department of Transportation’s right of way, such as replacing pipes, repaving roads, and doing ditchwork. The overall job is making sure we can maintain the county’s roads and stay within the budget that we’ve been provided.”
What motivates Wilkins is growing up in a rural town very close to Wayne County and his familiarity with the area.
“The really exciting part about my job is that you get to determine what problems you’re going to fix or address,” said Wilkins. “You get to decide how you’re going to fix the issue and then you get to see the results. You get to see how your work affects society. For example, if someone’s ditch is backing up, we can fix it. It’s very rewarding to help people you grew up around with the issues they face.”
While Wilkins was at NC State, he participated in an internship working with grading and utilities for two summers. The internships allowed him to get a feel for what career he wanted to go into and what he did not want to go into.
“The internship was hard, manual labor,” said Wilkins. “It helped me realize that I wanted to be an engineer, not a gradesman.”
After that internship experience, he interned with the NC Department of Transportation for two summers.
“An internship at the Department of Transportation helps prepare you for that job, especially if you end up working with them,” said Wilkins. “The people you meet are likely to be the people that you will work under once you get hired. Being known for your good work helps when your name shows up on a job application.”
Wilkins is grateful he came across the Golden LEAF Scholarship application when he was looking for college funding.
“If it wasn’t for the Golden LEAF Scholarship and a couple other scholarships, I just would not have been able to afford to go to college at all,” said Wilkins. “This scholarship changed my life outlook completely.”
The Golden LEAF Scholarship was a perfect fit for Wilkins.
“After reading more about the Golden LEAF Scholarship, I knew I fit all the criteria,” said Wilkins. “I lived in a rural county. I planned on working in one. I liked the idea that Golden LEAF helps rural communities and the people in them by educating them so that they can help their communities in return. It is just a great idea all around. I fully supported it, so I applied.”
Wilkins is grateful to the Golden LEAF Foundation for the continued support over the years and encourages students to apply for the scholarship.
“I enjoyed my experience 100%,” said Wilkins. “The Golden LEAF Scholarship helps you with your internships and provides money to go to college in general. Then the Foundation reaches out and checks up on you. It’s an opportunity that just keeps on giving, and then eventually, hopefully, you can give back. It is a community and not just some money to go to college.”
To learn more about the Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities Scholarship, click here.