Lindsay Wilkins

• Class of: Col ’17
• Hometown: Mechanicsville, VA
• Current City: Los Angeles, CA
• Current Job: Documentary Editor
• Bodo’s Order: Deli egg on a sesame seed bagel, medium coffee

Tell us about your UVA story. What were you involved in? What were your favorite memories?

When looking back on my time at UVA, I always think of the Andy Bernard quote from The Office: “The weird thing is now I’m exactly where I want to be. I’ve got my dream job at Cornell, and I’m still just thinking about my old pals. Only now they’re the ones I made here. I wish there was a way to know you’re in ‘the good old days,’ before you’ve actually left them.” I think that I am lucky to have known that I was in the “good old days” before I even left. My UVA story is mostly marked by lots of Cookout, weekend travel with the best teammates in Club Soccer, and deeply competitive game nights with a friend group developed through the YoungLife ministry.  Getting to share my time at UVA with them—sitting atop the Culbreth parking deck, floating down the river at Darden Towe or playing beach volleyball before our game at Club Soccer Nationals–are my most meaningful moments.  I’ll never forget the look in my friend Maggie’s eyes when we beat Duke or picnicking on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I will also never forget Professor Merricks’ passion in Philosophy of Religion or the way Professor Grossman and Professor Finder spurred me on in The History of German Jewry. I will also always treasure my creative education in classes like Documentary Production and Promotions with Carrie Heilman, which solidified my love for film and writing and pushed me to consider how I wanted to pursue those post-grad. Lastly, I found college to be a time where my faith was really challenged and fostered.

Tell us what you’re up to today!

After two years living and working in Richmond, VA, I moved out to LA to really give the film thing a go! I am currently working as a documentary editor at Stept Studios with the end goal of writing and directing my own stuff. I live in the South Bay area, which is a bunch of beach towns pushed together by the ocean and the mountains. It really is a dream to get to live here and I am thankful for the opportunity (and weather) every day.

What makes you say Wahoowa?

Basketball, duh. But aside from that, it is the pervading loyalty and enthusiasm for the University that extends out into the real world. I have been blown away by the commitment Wahoos have to one another outside of Grounds and am so proud to be a part of such a special community.

What’s the biggest way in which you hope alumni can impact UVA?

I hope alumni always remember to “reach back down the ladder” and remember what it was like to be an undergrad student just trying to figure things out. Some of my most poignant conversations in undergrad came from alums willing to talk with me on the phone and offer any advice and support they could.  These conversations helped shape the career path I ended up taking and empowered me to go after my dreams knowing I was supported by a network of Wahoos who would help me along the way.