By Theresa Smith
GCU News Bureau
God’s plan was set on warp speed for Rachel Robinson, which is why she accepted her diploma at Friday afternoon’s winter commencement just 2 1/2 years after enrolling at Grand Canyon University. Pairing efficiency with excellence, the Honors College member earned a 4.0 grade point average, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and a minor in Psychology.
“What has really driven me is passion,’’ Robinson said. “I love to learn. I love to do things for God. He has given me the opportunity, and I just love to partner with Him and see where He has taken me."
Academic acceleration began in high school for the Tucson resident. Along with quickly gaining credits via the one-on-one nature of her home schooling environment, she gained dual-enrollment credit through Pima Community College.
Choosing GCU was like acing an exam for the Alpha Chi Honor Society member.
“I was excited about the Christian atmosphere, the affordability and the campus,’’ Robinson said. “It was His plan, not mine.’’
“She is a student who has a strong academic work ethic and puts everything she has into every assignment and project she takes on,’’ said Dr. Kathleen Gilmore, faculty chair of the Sociology Department in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
A desire for servant leadership steered Robinson to the Sociology and Social Work Club, where she assisted various groups in need, including Phoenix Rescue Mission distribution events, and eventually took over as club president.
As advisor of the Sociology and Social Work Club, Gilmore witnessed Robinson’s devotion to helping the less fortunate.
“She is interested in global issues and she puts herself in situations where she can make a difference with her contributions,’’ Gilmore said. “She is a wonderful example of GCU's 'Find Your Purpose' as she is driven by purpose. ’’
Ultimately, Robinson envisions a career as an administrator for a nonprofit organization.
In the meantime, she is charting a trip to Asia. Along with volunteering her time to work with families, she intends to channel a neighboring discipline and cultural anthropology and immerse herself in a new language and culture.
With her family by her side, including her grandmother, two siblings and her parents, Chad and Tiffany, a GCU graduate of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professionals, Robinson reflected on her swift and successful Lopes experience.
“It is a learning process that I have been a part of, as a person in community and in academics,’’ Robinson said. “I am very thankful to have attended here and to have been surrounded by and have met so many wonderful people.’’
Contact Theresa Smith at (602) 639-7457 or [email protected].
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