Connor Higgins
Turns out, the Capstone was the destination for Nashville native, Alice Wilbanks.
Though it shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with her deep-rooted connections to The University of Alabama – Wilbanks is the 38th member of her family to attend UA.
Still, her decision to attend UA wasn’t always set in stone. During her senior year of high school, Wilbanks applied to other universities and toured their campuses. But she always felt “UA was the place,” and she wanted to continue her family’s legacy in UA’s everlasting community.
“It is an unspoken feeling when you get here,” she said. “You know it is where you’re supposed to be.”
The University’s influence in Wilbanks’ family runs deep. Her core UA memory is her grandmother ending exchanges and replies such as “hello” and “thank you” – and even prayers – by saying, “Roll Tide!” As a child, Wilbanks attended Homecoming parades and recalls sitting along University Boulevard, looking at Denny Chimes and imagining her turn at the family’s university.
“Seeing family with that pride for this school and how far UA continues to grow every single year has played a huge role in who I am here as a student,” says Wilbanks, a sophomore double-majoring in psychology and criminal justice.
While the more than three dozen UA alumni in Wilbanks’ family have provided lifelong exposure to the University, the National Alumni Association has provided her a tangible benefit that reinforces the broad impact of alumni; Wilbanks is a recipient of the Alumni Heritage Scholarship and the Alumni Leadership Scholarship, in addition to the Legends Merit Scholarship.
Wilbanks said she’s thankful for alumni who support current and future students and help build UA’s global brand.
“The whole goal for alumni, graduates and students alike is to say, ‘Roll Tide!’ – not only in Tuscaloosa, but around the world,” she said.
Now, Wilbanks is carving her own path at UA, aligning her aspirations with the philanthropic mission of the Capstone. In November 2024, Wilbanks was named the student representative for The Rising Tide 2.0 Capital Campaign Cabinet and will serve in this role through the end of the Campaign in September 2026.
Wilbanks’ position with The Rising Tide 2.0 follows a pair of leadership and ambassador roles she’s held across campus. She was recently appointed vice president of learning and development for Kappa Delta Sorority, where she’ll lead approximately 150 students next school year. Additionally, Wilbanks has been a member of the Capstone Men and Women – UA’s official campus ambassadors – since the end of her freshman year.
“My mom was a Capstone Woman and a couple of my uncles were Capstone Men,” Wilbanks said. “But the main thing that made me want to be a Capstone Woman was the Capstone Man who gave me my tour of campus when I was in high school. He knew so much about UA and had so much pride for the University, and I knew I wanted to be that first face people saw when they arrived on campus.”
Wilbanks plans to further her service and leadership roles on campus through the new food pantry at the UA Student Center.
“I value the Tuscaloosa community a ton, so I want to be able to give back to it,” she said. “I want to make this place better than before I got here.”
Wilbanks is pursuing honors research opportunities and a potential internship with the FBI. She plans to pursue a criminal justice career that allows her to do behavioral analysis focusing on juvenile delinquency.
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