When Carl Wilkins ’86 and Gale McKoy Wilkins ’16 MA established the McKoy-Wilkins Scholarship for adult and nontraditional learners at William Peace University, they weren’t just giving back. For them, the mission was personal. 

“We have empathy, because we lived the experience,” McKoy Wilkins says. Both members of this Wolfpack pair know what it means to put a dream on hold and what it takes to return to it. 

In 1974, NC State recruited Wilkins, a new high school graduate, with an academic scholarship. However, personal circumstances kept him from attending. Instead, he went to work at what is now Duke Energy and started a family. 

After realizing that many of the leaders at the company had NC State engineering degrees, Wilkins decided, “That’s the path for me.” Between work shifts and family responsibilities, he squeezed in classes, one per semester. He credits the College of Engineering faculty and his classmates for helping him stay the course. Nine years after that first recruitment, he earned his electrical engineering degree. 

“I wasn’t going to miss my chance this time,” says Wilkins. 

McKoy Wilkins’ path required similar determination. A teenage mother working long hours in a factory, she spent years putting the needs of others before her educational goals. When her son was in high school, she made a decision: “I refused to die an old person without a college degree!” She graduated from William Peace University in 2011 and later earned a master’s degree with a focus in women in leadership from NC State. 

Those experiences shaped the couple’s approach to philanthropy. They knew adult learners needed not only tenacity but also support. In 2022, they established the McKoy-Wilkins Scholarship at William Peace University to help adult and nontraditional learners overcome the financial hurdles that might derail their degree. 

“Their impact extends far beyond tuition dollars,” says Paul Scherschel, vice president for advancement at William Peace University. “It shows these adult and nontraditional students that someone believes in them and wants to invest in their success.”

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