Dr. Carolyn P. Jenkins learned about Africa University when it was just an idea. As idea became reality, she learned more through visits by James Salley and the Africa University Choir to churches and communities in South Carolina and Tennessee, where she and her late husband, Rev. A. Clark Jenkins, served and lived. “In hindsight, I realize that this was a very effective way to introduce Africa University and the African culture into our American communities,” she says.
Jenkins values the gift of obtaining a university degree. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Claflin University; a master’s degree in Library Science from North Carolina Central University; and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina.
More than two decades later, Jenkins visited Africa University and was impressed with the beauty of the people, the land, and the university’s strong academic culture. She engaged with students and saw their innovative research and cutting-edge curriculum.
The diversity of the student population is a valuable aspect of Africa University’s ministry. With so many different countries represented, the university opens “a door of education to all who will come.”
For 30 years, Africa University has opened doors to opportunities for students. By establishing an endowed scholarship in memory of her husband, Dr. Carolyn Jenkins ensures a first-rate education will be available for generations of students to come. She and her family are happy to support a student in this tangible way. Her prayer is that Africa University will experience sustained stability, growth, and long-lasting services to the continent of Africa and to the world.
Andra M. Stevens, Director, Communications, Africa University Development Office
A World Service Special Gift is a designated financial contribution made by an individual, local church, organization, district or annual conference to a project authorized as such by the Connectional Table. Current World Service Special Gifts projects include the Africa University Endowment Fund, the Leonard Perryman Communications Scholarship for Ethnic Minority Students, the Methodist Global Education Fund, the National Anti-Gambling Project and the Lay Missionary Planting Network.
