Growing up in a large family in Clearwater, Kenneth B. Wiggins Jr. (JR) learned the importance of caring and giving relationships at an early age. "I have three brothers and three sisters, and my family has always been a big part of my life. My sisters raised me to be the man I am today," he says.
Always interested in science, Wiggins enrolled at the University of Central Florida, and transferred to the University of Miami after his sophomore year, majoring in microbiology and immunology. "I was fortunate to receive a scholarship from the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) that made it possible for me to earn my bachelor's degree at the University of Miami," he says. But that degree came in religious studies, rather than one of the life sciences. "I have always had an affinity for religion, making it easy for me to turn my minor into a major."
Still serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army National Guard, Wiggins returned to Coral Gables, taking the position of senior administrative assistant for central development, in the Division of University Advancement in 2012. In that role, Wiggins helps facilitate meetings and coordinate support services for major donors, while evoking his natural generosity. Recently, Wiggins made a cash gift and a planned giving commitment to the UM Department of Religious Studies. As he says, "Even a small gift can have a big impact when you direct where it goes."
Through his life insurance policy, Wiggins has set aside funds to support a college education fund for his nieces and nephews, while dedicating the remainder to helping a UM department that has a special meaning for him. "I would like to help create a program that emphasizes how science and religion can co-exist," he says. "That would be a natural fit for the Department of Religious Studies in our strong, science-oriented University. On a personal level, I am proud to be able to give back and support those professors who really made a difference in my life."
