Charleston native Andrea Elkins always dreamed of attending college, but traditional admissions requirements, especially standardized testing, presented a barrier for the differently-abled adult, as she describes herself.
That was until West Virginia University became the first public higher education institution in the Mountain State to temporarily, then permanently adopt a test-optional admissions policy.
The move made all the difference for Elkins and aspiring students like her.
Elkins comes from a family deeply connected to WVU and following in their footsteps was something she always hoped to do. Her grandfather, Eugene Elkins, worked for the WVU Bureau of Government Research in the 1950s and 60s, while her other grandfather, George Kirk, worked in University administration under President James Harlow, later graduating from the WVU College of Law in 1973.
Her mother, Kathi, earned her degree from WVU then worked in what is now the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, and her father, Randall, is a WVU Law graduate.
With aunts, cousins and even in-laws tied to the University, enrolling at WVU was personal.
Before attending WVU and following her graduation from high school in 2009, Elkins worked for nearly a decade as a mail runner at the West Virginia State Capitol. She lost her job as the global pandemic set in and said, while that experience was challenging, it also gave her an opportunity to rethink what she really wanted to do.
The stars began to align. She enrolled in classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WVU and completed dozens of them. She’s subsequently proposed and taught six multi-session classes for OLLI on topics like musical theater and the history of fairy tales.
In fall 2022, Andrea and her now-retired parents made the decision to move to Morgantown, giving her the opportunity to enroll at WVU. With the support of the WVU Office of Student Accommodations, she began her academic journey by taking one class in 2024 in the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media.
“Once I got the email that I got in, we went to meet with the accessibility services team and they have given me all the tools I needed to help me succeed here,” she said, adding that she hopes her success will continue in the three classes she has scheduled for Spring 2025.
In addition to her studies and embracing the college experience, Elkins also remains committed to advocating for fellow adults with disabilities.
She’s involved with the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council, through which she attends policymaking workshops and rallies to support disability rights.
She’s also always embraced her creative nature and continues working on a musical she began writing with her mother during the pandemic. The two-act performance focuses on environmental awareness and inclusion, the pair explained, and features 17 scenes and a wide range of musical styles, from Broadway-inspired numbers to Latin and Native American chants. One of the highlights of the project was securing permission to use an unpublished song by folk music icon Pete Seeger. Elkins and her mother are now working to secure funding in hopes of bringing the musical to life in high schools and community theaters across West Virginia.
Elkins has a rich love for the arts. In addition to writing her musical, she’s also performed in 14 stage productions, developed a deep appreciation for opera in high school and even hosted live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera in local theaters.
Most of all, Elkins said she hopes her journey to WVU will inspire others to pursue their dreams and challenge barriers that stand in their way. She said she lives by her mother’s words of wisdom.
“My mom has been a role model to me my whole life. I don’t know what I would do without her,” Elkins said. “Anytime things get hard I just hear her say — ‘What wonderful thing would you do if you knew you could not fail?’”
