Feature: Alumni Devin Robinson
Devin Robinson, a political science major, recently graduated on Nov. 20, 2020 at USC Aiken.
Robinson originally started college in fall 2016, and had planned to go to the University of Alabama, but the financial aid package that was offered to him “was less than stellar” Robinson said, so he decided to go to Midlands Tech in Columbia for a semester.
During that time his family was in the process of moving to Grovetown after his dad retired from the Navy. That is when he made a decision to come to USC Aiken instead of transferring to the main campus.
Robinson explains why he decided to attend college “I had always wanted to study law since high school, so it only made sense to take the first step by getting an undergraduate degree.” he continued “ I plan on working for a bit to save up some money before either going to law school or getting my Masters degree. “
“For the most part if I wasn't studying I was working in the library. For a brief period of time I was a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, but I stopped going as my course load intensified. “ Robinson described what his life was like being a college student at USC Aiken.
"I really enjoyed the convenience that on-campus living could provide. Having a gym, cafeteria, and Starbucks within walking distance was great, and almost anything I needed could be gotten on campus or delivered, so I didn't really have to worry that much about stuff outside of work/class.”
He continued “ One event in particular stands out to me. The most impactful was conducting an exit poll for Dr. Thornburg’s Scopes and Methods class. It was during the 2018 midterm election and thanks to the political climate at the time things were tense. To conduct the poll, we had to randomly approach the demographic we were assigned and ask them a series of politically related questions that would give us data that would later be compiled to help show trends for that election.
While I ran into a handful of awfully rude or dismissive people, most were either enthusiastic or at the very least cordial which went a long way when standing outside of a polling station for hours. Participating in the exit poll definitely changed the way I engaged with others politically and shifted my frame of mind from being completely cynical to being just a bit more empathetic.”
Robinson also wishes that he would’ve done more activities on campus “Looking back I'm sure I missed out on a couple of opportunities to grow either professionally or as a person.”
One of the thing he missed the most about leaving college would be having a set schedule. Robinson explains that in college “your time is eaten up by so many pre-decided things that you don't really have to worry about managing your time because everything is already planned out. “
Before ending the interview Robinson wanted to send a message to all students who are attending or going to attend college at USC Aiken “ You should definitely get involved in some sort of on campus activity. Best case scenario you make friends and have fun and the worst case you have something to add to your resumé.”
