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As a student at American University, I quickly joined the Dean's Podcast Club in SPA as a freshman, and the Dean's Podcast Club was hosted by Dean Vicky Wilkins and at the time, as a freshman, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to meet

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and interact with the dean of my school. Yet she actually became a really trusting resource friend and mentor of mine. Through the Dean's Podcast Club, I

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quickly met other older SPA students who I could learn from, and having the opportunity to sit around and listen to these incredible political podcasts, discuss them, and have a place to openly chat about what was going on in the world around us, made me

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feel so visible and able to discuss the world in such a nice institution in a way that felt so friendly and collaborative and conversational. I really enjoyed it.

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Dean Vicky Wilkins went on to become our provost, our acting provost, where she has maintained a great relationship with the students, and I've been able to call her a mentor and a friend. And that relationship really began due to my time in the Dean's

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podcast club. Starting as a freshman, I couldn't think of a more organized and wonderful way for students to meet the administrative administrators and higher level faculty at

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schools than that one on one interaction and experience. I really value the opportunity to tell stories and hear about other people in a more collaborative, community based way, and she really fostered that environment, I think both for myself and other

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members of the Dean's Podcast club. We really valued that one on one time we could get with her. And to Vicky Wilkins, if you ever see or hear this, I thoroughly enjoyed the time with you and I really do remember it fondly.

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Thank you so much for everything you did for SPA AU, and the Dean's Podcast club.