Arriving on campus is one thing; knowing how to navigate it is another. For the 18 percent of American University’s Class of 2029 who are first-generation college students—the most in AU history—the learning curve isn’t just academic. It’s a hidden curriculum of unspoken rules, from financial aid to student life.

They need a guide who has walked that path.

Provost Vicky Wilkins is that advocate. As AU’s chief academic officer and a first-gen student herself, she hasn’t forgotten the feeling of uncertainty—or the drive to succeed. Here, Wilkins shares how her own first-gen journey informs her work and her passion for supporting AU’s newest trailblazers.

Wilkins grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; her mother ran an in-home daycare, and her father was a 28-year veteran of the Air Force. She had never considered college until a teacher planted the seed.

My parents both grew up in rural Missouri, so going to college was not an expectation. Nobody was pressuring me to go.

The moment when I realized college was [a possibility] was my sophomore year of high school. I was in an English class taught by Mrs. Constance Joffee. I was a voracious reader, and she handed me a piece of paper [titled] “College Reading List.” I started reading those books, and finally, I said to her, “Does this mean you think I can go to college?” I remember very clearly the surprise on her face, but I had just never thought about a real plan for that.

I remember thinking, “This person says I can go to college,” and that changed everything. I went to the school library and got an SAT/ACT study guide and really started thinking about it differently.

Wilkins applied to three schools and settled on Northern Michigan University, which allowed her to commute from home and work full-time.

My college life was probably not as robust as some [students’]. I was always trying to balance work and school in interesting ways. I thought I had to work full-time to make school work, and I did not understand that student loans were an [option]. By my sophomore year, I started managing a JoAnn Fabrics. I was the youngest manager in the company, which was a lot of responsibility. People now are like, “Oh, you are so busy as provost,” but I used to take classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then go to work from 1 to 9 p.m. to close the store.

Every day, I am thankful for that work experience. It taught me a lot about understanding and meeting the expectations of people. I learned that if you run out of budget hours, it is on you. There were many days at the end of the week when I opened and closed. I also learned to fear a hot glue gun.

In 1992, Wilkins graduated with a bachelor’s in political science and history. Her experience managing the craft store prompted her to continue her studies, and in 1996, she earned a master’s in human resource management from Chapman University in Orange County, California.

That was also very handy for this job. [After graduating from Chapman], I had an opportunity to teach a few classes at the University of La Verne. I was hooked, and I knew this was what I wanted to do forever. I liked research; I liked teaching; and I decided to get a PhD in political science [from the University of Missouri].

I think a PhD surprises most parents, but I also felt a distance when my parents saw me doing things they did not do. Something first-generation students struggle with is being very careful never to show up as the smart college kid with family. First-generation students struggle with almost a dual identity. They want to continue to show respect for their parents and the choices their family members made around education—and not seem like they are judging or “big-timing” people because they are in college—while also being very excited and proud of what they are learning.

Following more than a decade as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Georgia, Wilkins came to AU in 2014 and was named dean of the School of Public Affairs in 2018. Five years later, she was tapped as acting provost—a post that became permanent in April 2025. As AU’s chief academic officer, Wilkins relishes the opportunity to support AU’s first-generation Eagles.

I am very clear-eyed about what our students might be going through. I cannot assume students have the opportunity notto work while they are in college or that all of them can afford to go abroad. I cannot assume they know things. I never sat out on the quad in college, so I know there are students out there who do not have that option. They are getting their work done; they are here, and we need to make sure we are supporting them as much as any other student.

When I was the dean of SPA, we started a program called First Generation Guides, where advisors who were first-gen take on additional roles to help our first-generation students. “Guide” is a great term because that person is there to support you and help you through the unknowns. I would like to see that scaled up for the entire campus because it is very important to shorten the distance between our first-generation students and students who come from educational legacy. We are a hardworking bunch. We come from a different path, and we are going to need some extra support. It is really important to invest in that—and for them to know they are not alone in what they are feeling and going through.

AU defines a first-gen student . . .

as one “whose parents or guardians have not had the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree in the United States.” Thirteen percent of undergraduate Eagles  during the 2025–26 academic year are first-gen, up from 11 percent in 2024 and 8 percent in 2023.