For Winston Griffin, being an Aggie is more than a college experience, it is a family legacy, one that has been growing for more than 90 years and spanning four generations. 

A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Winston grew up surrounded by Aggie pride. Some of his earliest memories were attending North Carolina A&T football games with his pawpaw, Ernie Griffin, and his father, Adrian Griffin. Those Saturdays introduced him to more than football; they connected him to a university his family had loved and supported for generations.  

Winston’s great-grandfather, Lymus R. Griffin, attended A&T from 1931 to 1933, majoring in Agriculture and he played football at the university. His grandfather, Ernie, graduated in 1964 and devoted years to supporting A&T through his leadership with the Gold Helmet Club and Aggie Alumni Club and was a loyal supporter of the Aggie Athletic Foundation. His father, Adrian, graduated in 1982, is a retired City of Greensboro firefighter, has a 30-year entrepreneurial career and has also been a loyal supporter of the Aggie Athletic Foundation. Winston’s sister, Kiara Hinton Griffin is a current graduate student at A&T. His mother, Shalane Griffin, is also part of the A&T family, both as an employee of the university and as an alumna who earned her Master of Science degree from North Carolina A&T. 

The family’s connection to agriculture also found its way to Winston. Winston discovered and embraced his agricultural roots as he began gardening in elementary school with his father Adrian and continues today, raising pigs, goats and chickens. In doing so he carries forward a connection to the land first embraced by his great-grandfather nearly a century ago.  

When it was time for college, Winston had only one choice. North Carolina A&T was the only university to which he applied. After graduating from Southeast High School, he began his Aggie journey in August 2018 and earned his degree in Supply Chain Management in December 2021. 

Today Winston is a Material Flow Engineer at John Deere and the Owner/Operator of Yadkin Millworks & Fabrication LLC, continuing an entrepreneurial journey that began when he was just 18 years old. 

A&T is also where Winston met his fiancée, Ashanti Williams, and the couple will marry in November 2026. 

Winston’s Aggie story is one of education, family, service, entrepreneurship and tradition. From Lymus in the 1930s to Ernie in the 1960s, Adrian in the 1980s and now Winston, each generation has added a new chapter to the Griffin family’s connection to North Carolina A&T. 

As North Carolina A&T celebrates its Centennial, Winston Griffin represents what an Aggie legacy can look like across generations, legacy rooted in history, strengthened by family and continually renewed by the next generation. 

Four generations. One Aggie family. One enduring legacy.