By Amelia Chen
Kim Wilkins, the college counselor for Oak Hall’s Upper School, is one of the many new faces on campus this school year. While starting at a new school can be intimidating for students and faculty alike, Wilkins loves her OHS experience so far because of the people and the community. “I absolutely love [Oak Hall]. I love the people, I love my colleagues, I love the students and the parents. It’s been nothing but wonderful,” she said.
In particular, she loves the mission and passion put into the school. Oak Hall has been a place she has had her eyes on for a while, as well as being conveniently located given that she has wanted to move back to Florida to be close to family. Her mom and dad live in Flemings Island, FL, and her 21-year-old son Trent is currently in South Carolina.
Wilkins’ career began with teaching AP Literature and continued to teach English for seven years. From there, she went to graduate school and earned a counseling degree because she enjoyed giving advice. Finally, she began as a school counselor (later becoming a college counselor) and has been at it for almost 20 years now. One of her favorite memories was watching a joyful student cartwheel three times after being accepted into his dream school. “I love to share in the joy of students,” she said.
Wilkins notes her favorite thing about her job is watching students get what they want out of a process. Mostly, she just loves to see things work out for the students. For future college attendees, she recommends being reasonable in their process, making sure students put forth their best effort in their applications, taking it slow and enjoying the ride.
Outside of her job, she loves reality TV. Some of her favorite TV shows include The Bachelorette, The Kardashians, and 90 Day Fiancé. She enjoys these shows because she doesn’t have to think about them too much and she finds them funny.
Overall, Wilkins is loving her first few weeks at Oak Hall and enjoying being back in Florida near her family. We are so thrilled to have her as a part of the Oak Hall family and look forward to the future with her in the years to come.