“Step Up, Make A Change”: Get to Know Gilbert Hinga
Emily Cobb | Feb. 3, 2026
The Warren Wilson College (WWC) community typically associates a few things with Vice President for Student Engagement and Dean of Students Gilbert Hinga: his electric scooter, his passion for WWC and his efforts to motivate during Hurricane Helene (a la “When I say ‘Warren’ you say ‘Wilson’”).
Hinga poses in overalls made by students Zoie Green Wilenta and Lili Jones, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (Emily Cobb/Echo)
Hinga’s journey began at Warren Wilson in 1985, when he journeyed from Kenya to pursue a college degree. Hinga was motivated to apply after learning that a distant relative had attended WWC. At that time, the college had roughly 450 students, allowing Hinga to meet students from many backgrounds.“[Coming] to Warren Wilson was probably the best thing that could happen in terms of being introduced to the United States,” Hinga said. “As an example, when I came, Warren Wilson was already recycling. We were already talking about [how] we need to be careful in terms of how we relate to the environment, which was just an eye-opening thing for me.”
During his years as a student at Warren Wilson, Hinga dove into gaining a well-rounded experience by working on various crews.
“One of the most important things I learned then is that you just have to step up because the experiences are there and to be had,” Hinga said. “But unless I step in or I lean into it, I will observe and continue observing every four years…There's anxiety about getting involved, but once you do, you find that people [are] going to support you, [including] faculty and staff that are second to none.”
One crew Hinga did not work on, but wanted to, was the farm. Four decades later, when Hinga was hired at Warren Wilson, he got his wish, working two shifts with students on the Pig and Ruminate Crews.
“I think [my] favorite elements [of the job] hands down are working directly with students and seeing and being a witness in their journey of change from when they get here to when they graduate,” Hinga said. “To be part of that journey is a privilege.”
Hinga oversees a variety of elements at WWC, including wellness initiatives, Residence Life, Student Life, the Health Center and student conduct.
“I think my role is to help facilitate the education that students have, and I'm not being trite,” Hinga said. “I feel like it's really important for [administration] to find a way to steer the campus in ways that students can maximize their experiences here and their education here… At the end of that experience, students feel like they have a sense of purpose, they feel like they're headed to a hopeful future and that they have a sense of identity that they have developed.”
Hinga is focusing his efforts on three main areas. The first is how the college can improve college wellness, particularly within mental health, partnering with Milly Morrow, the executive director of wellness and identity integration. His second area prioritizes residence halls, working on revamping Living & Learning Communities (LLC). The final, working alongside the Office of Inclusive Excellence (OIE), is ensuring student engagement with one another, preparing students to graduate into the global community.
“Warren Wilson is a microcosm of what is in the world,” Hinga said. “I think it's important for students to have strong skills in how to interact with people from different backgrounds, regardless of who they are and what their belief system is.”
To Hinga, Warren Wilson is “a shining college on a hill in the same way that a lighthouse is.” In many ways, Hinga views the college as one that has been a progressive trendsetter since its inception. Hinga is adamant that if more people knew what Warren Wilson represents and does, the student body size would be larger.
“What runs in [our] blood, because [we are a] part of Warren Wilson, is that there's this thing that says you have an obligation to step up, to make a change,” Hinga said. “I've seen Warren Wilson students do that. They see a need, and they want to meet it…It's not easy…It's [a] work in progress, and if our founders have anything to say about it, it is grunge work. It is grit. That's what we do, and that's what I feel I try to do; I try to meet that standard every day that I work, because I feel like there's something bigger than me.”
Hinga’s role comes with its own challenges, which he has been working on improving since he started in June 2024. One of the biggest challenges is the number of “hats” Hinga has to wear.
“This role is challenging in many ways because there is what you plan on and what happens,” Hinga said. “How do we make sure to meet the students' needs when we have challenges around budgets? How do we make sure we do this…in a timely way? There are many hats to wear, and that's okay. But it is a challenge because you want to make sure that you're providing the quality experience that students need to succeed.”
However, Hinga is not deterred by these challenges. Student growth, fostering student relationships and improving the student experience are the “kernels” Hinga uses to remind him why he does the job.