{"id":10584,"date":"2015-05-08T08:20:03","date_gmt":"2015-05-08T13:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=10584"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:07:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:07:33","slug":"dillon2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=10584","title":{"rendered":"Dillon Robinson ’15: Finding his heel print"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dillon<\/a>
Dillon Robinson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dillon Robinson\u2019s first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill didn\u2019t exactly go as planned.<\/p>\n

An A-student at A.L. Brown High School in his hometown of Kannapolis, North Carolina, Robinson struggled to hit the mark in the classroom during his first two semesters at Carolina.<\/p>\n

For a while, he began to doubt that he would make it to graduation. But with the guidance of family, friends, faculty mentors \u2014 and Carolina MALES<\/a> (Men Advocating for Learning, Empowerment, and Success), an organization dedicated to providing support for minority men \u2014 he finds himself where he wasn\u2019t sure he was ever going to be: among the nearly 5,000 undergraduate students receiving their degrees May 10 at Spring Commencement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think about it every day,\u201d Robinson said of graduation. \u201cThat day is just going to be surreal. It\u2019s going to be awesome. \u2026 I came here to graduate \u2014\u00a0that was the goal \u2014 but there were several times where I didn\u2019t think I would be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robinson \u2014 who went from early academic struggles to becoming a member of the prestigious Order of the Golden Fleece honorary society \u2014 will become a first-generation graduate with a degree in communication studies from the College of Arts and Sciences when he turns his tassel on Sunday.<\/p>\n

He is one of more than 600 Carolina Firsts to graduate this year; Chancellor Carol L. Folt<\/a> will honor them by hand-signing the diploma of each first-generation student who graduates in May. Those signings will begin with a ceremony Friday.<\/p>\n

Robinson\u2019s four-year journey to Kenan Stadium for graduation wasn\u2019t always easy. He enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill with the encouragement of a high school guidance counselor: \u201cShe said this is the cr\u00e8me of the crop \u2014 the best you can possibly attend,\u201d Robinson said.<\/p>\n

But without a support system on campus, Robinson\u2019s tenure at Carolina had a rocky start.<\/p>\n

\u201cI struggled with having to accept what I may have to sit down and take three or four hours to do homework,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a pride issue of coming out [of high school] with straight A\u2019s to having to work my tail off and I might get a C.\u201d<\/p>\n

After being declared academically ineligible at the end of his freshmen year, Robinson stayed on campus for summer school and focused solely on his academics \u2013 improving his GPA enough to return for his sophomore year. But the close call was a reality check.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized there were a lot of people who had invested a lot in me \u2014 my high school guidance counselor, my parents, teachers I\u2019ve had along the way, high school coaches, my church family,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were so many people that supported me and I didn\u2019t want to let them down.\u201d<\/p>\n

To find success at Carolina, Robinson created a new support structure and faculty mentors and friends who helped him get back on track. Among his new supporters was Dex Robinson, an academic advisor who became the student\u2019s mentor for the next three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s put together a team that if he has questions, if he has problems, if he has ideas he can turn to folks,\u201d Dex Robinson said. \u201cIt\u2019s big to have that support system. Without that support system it\u2019s easy to fall through the cracks because you don\u2019t have anybody watching your back. You have to be able to check in with folks.\u201d<\/p>\n

While regaining his footing in the classroom, Robinson found more help from the Carolina MALES.<\/p>\n

Late in his freshman year, Robinson attended a roundtable discussion sponsored by the organization. There, he heard stories of classmates who didn\u2019t return to school. Having been on the edge of failing out, Robinson felt he could help.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized how close I was to being that person that didn\u2019t come back,\u201d he said. \u201cI knew if I had that problem, and if these guys knew friends that had the problem, then there was going to be somebody else that was having that problem or would have this problem after me. I just wanted to do anything I could to keep people from taking that same path.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his sophomore year Carolina MALES became an official university organization and Robinson became one of the group\u2019s leaders from the next three years. The student organized retreats for first-year students, symposiums and created mentor relationships between students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he found his heel print and took it and ran with it,\u201d Dex said. \u201cHe said \u2018I found a way to be successful here. I just want to share.\u2019 \u201c<\/p>\n

Along the way, Robinson\u2019s grades continued to improve and his leadership left a lasting mark on the campus. In 2014, the student\u2019s efforts were recognized when he was inducted into the Order of the Fleece, the highest honorary society at the University.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was unbelievable,\u201d he said of the induction.<\/p>\n

After he turns his tassel this weekend, Robinson will prepare to start a Masters of Management program at Wake Forest University in the fall. The goal, he said, is to take the leadership skills he honed at Carolina into the business world where he can continue to help his community as a business owner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredible to see where I have been, to see where I am now and to think about where I\u2019m going,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

By Brandon Bieltz, Office of Communications and Public Affairs<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dillon Robinson \u2014 who went from early academic struggles to becoming a member of the prestigious Order of the Golden Fleece honorary society \u2014 will become a first-generation graduate with a degree in communication studies when he turns his tassel on 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