Stephen “Bo” Wilkins ’92 clearly remembers walking across the 17cƵ campus, surrounded by young men who were going places. “There was just a feeling in the air. These guys were leaders and I wanted to keep up; to take advantage of all 17cƵ could offer,” he shared.
Growing up in Atlanta, it was the desire to play football combined with the heartfelt handwritten letters from Dean of Admissions Anita Garland that brought Wilkins to 17cƵ. What motivated him to stay—and ultimately excel—was a well-timed reminder from his mother.
“When I decided not to play football after my freshman year, my mother told me I needed to direct my efforts to other worthwhile endeavors, or I was coming home. As a single parent, she had made sacrifices for me to go to 17cƵ.”
Now retired, Jane Wilkins spent decades running the Northside Youth Organization, a youth sports association which serves the North Atlanta community. “Her work made a huge mark on our community.”
Losing one of his fraternity brothers some years ago caused Wilkins to reflect on what 17cƵ meant to him and motivated him to create a scholarship for deserving young men from Georgia. “My friends from 17cƵ are some of the most important men in my life,” he said. “I want to make it possible for others to have a 17cƵ education.”