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Brady Robinson surprised with full ride to Marian University
The Wednesday before Christmas break started just like any other for South Putnam High School senior, Brady Robinson.
He was sitting in anatomy class, studying for finals, which had started that day, and talking about college with his brother. That is when guidance counselor Brian Gardner came in to pull him out of class to take a picture for a big grant the FFA had won.
After a couple pictures, Robinson’s parents Cory and Dara and an admissions counselor from Marian University came out from a closet they had been hiding in to tell him he had won the St. Mary Academic scholarship. An $18,000 scholarship that will cover his tuition at Marian for all four years.
“I was beyond shocked,” Robinson said. “Just having both my parents with Marian sweatshirts on and seeing them come out with the admissions counselor will be something I’ll never forget.”
His adviser was actually afraid Robinson was going to faint because he was so surprised.
“My adviser, Ms. (Amanda) King said that my face went all white then immediately went all red and she thought I was going to fall over and pass out,” Robinson said laughing.
He was invited to apply to the scholarship after he got accepted to Marian. The academic scholarship required at least a 3.9 GPA. In order to apply Robinson had to create a resume and write a 500-word essay on a topic given to students by the university.
Ultimately Robinson chose Marian because he wants to go into the medical field. The dream, Robinson said, was to become a nurse then a nurse practitioner working in the neurology field with a concentration on pediatrics.
Due to being a triplet Robinson has faced medical complications in his life that set him back in weight and height. This is what gave him such deep respect for those in the health care profession, and why he wants to follow in their footsteps to give back to children in the hospital.
“Just having such wonderful nurses and doctors in my time in the hospital. It’s just shown me that I can have an impact on children,” he said. “I just want to give back to those kids that like may not get to spend Christmas and the holidays with their families. I want to give back to them what those nurses gave to me.”
Robinson is also thankful for the scholarship because it will be a bit of a financial relief for his parents who are putting three students through college at the same time.
At school, Robinson is involved in many clubs and activities like being vice president of his senior class through student council, being a member of the National Honor Society, being vice president of the FFA chapter and representing District 7 for Indiana FFA, as well as being in the biomed club, Spanish club, and interact club — a group similar to the National Honor Society that does volunteer work throughout the community.
“Brady’s one of the students that everybody likes, when he goes through the school people are drawn to him,” Gardner said. “He’s got a quiet strength about him that will really bode well for him in the future.”
As the anticipation of graduation sets in, Robinson said one of the biggest challenges he will face next year is being separated from his brothers. They are all going to different schools across Indiana and for the first time will be on his own. However, he is taking the challenge in stride and is excited to follow his dreams.
Robinson said he would also like to thank agriculture advisers King and Lauren Flanders, English teacher Jennifer Perrin, Karen Heavin and most importantly his family for their loving support.