The son of a single mother and the first person in his family to go to college has a lot to smile about.
West Virginia State University's Board of Governors named Anthony L. Jenkins as the school's 11th president Tuesday afternoon, ending a nearly five-month-long search for the historically black college's next leader.
Jenkins told those gathered at a news conference that it was education that changed his life - what rescued him from the southeast side of Washington, D.C., and transformed his future.
"This is a dream come true. I'm a long way from the southeast side of Washington, and I'm not just talking distance," Jenkins said. "I'm talking about education, a life of twists and turns and great opportunities. This is the apex of my career and I'm very proud of that."
Current WVSU President Brian Hemphill announced in December that he accepted a new position, starting in July, as president of Radford University in Virginia. Jenkins was one of three finalists interviewed for Hemphill's job last month.
"Don't tell me that education is not a game changer," he said. "As a first-generation college student, my education has helped to evolve me as a person and has added value to my life. It has taken me across this great nation and beyond ... And today I stand ready to lead one of the greatest universities in this nation."
Board Chairwoman Ann Brothers Smith said it felt like she read hundreds of resumes before the presidential search committee finally settled on Jenkins.
"When Dr. Hemphill first announced he accepted a presidency at Radford University, my first thought was, 'We've got some big shoes to fill,'" Smith said. "Maybe a size 13."
To Smith and other members of the board, Jenkins is the perfect fit for WVSU.
The veteran of higher education spoke at length about the challenges that the university will face in the coming months and years.
The Legislature has yet to pass a budget for the next fiscal year, leaving the state's public universities in the dark about how much funding they'll receive next year. But Jenkins isn't concerned.
"Higher education has received cuts for the last 20 years. Institutions have been very creative, and that's why I said in my talk that we have to be unconventional," Jenkins said. "We have to think outside of the box; we have to be strong fiscal stewards. Those are things that institutions like State has had to do for 125 years. This is nothing new to us."
In late April, WVSU's Board of Governors approved a draft budget for next year, which includes a 5 percent increase in in-state undergraduate tuition and fees, raising them from $3,331 per semester to $3,498 per semester.
"To the Yellow Jacket nation, we can all recognize that there are some challenges that lie ahead," Jenkins said. "These are challenges that will test our resolve and require us to meet the needs of our university and the students that we serve in unconventional ways."
Jenkins most recently worked as the senior associate vice president for student development and enrollment services at the University of Central Florida. There, he provided oversight to more than 700 staff members, directly supervised more than 300 every day and managed a budget of more than $35 million, according to his resume.
Before his career in higher education, Jenkins served in the U.S. Army. He studied criminal justice and sociology at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, earned a master's in criminology from North Carolina Central University and received a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies while at Virginia Tech, according to a news release.
With Jenkins during the announcement were his wife, Toinette, and two daughters, Ashley and Alicia.
Jenkins will assume his new position on July 1. The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission first must approve his contract.
Reach Jake Jarvis at jake.jarvis@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-7939 or follow @NewsroomJake on Twitter.