For Jazzrein Robinson, Rowan College at Burlington County offered the perfect chance at a comeback. After struggling to gain her footing during her high school years, she realized she needed to enter college with a fresh start.
“High school wasn’t my favorite time of my life, but I still prevailed,” Robinson shared. “I left it in the past and took responsibility for my future. I promised myself to make my experience at RCBC the best it could possibly be.”
Robinson did more than prove herself over those two years. She changed her way of thinking. Instead of turning people away, she embraced new friendships and overcame her social anxiety. She grew emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
“Don’t even get me started on how I’ve changed through this pandemic,” Robinson shared. “I am resilient and so is my generation. I want my fellow graduates to be proud of how far they’ve come. We are stronger than we think, and we cannot give up now. Our hardships do not define us.”
As a women’s soccer recruit, Jazzrein earned a full scholarship to attend RCBC in fall 2019. During her time at the college, she joined the Black Campus Ministries conference, which allows hundreds of students countrywide to worship, celebrate and reflect; she led small group discussions at Intervarsity at RCBC, a group that provides a way to explore spirituality; and she’s an active member in a college ministry called The Bridge. This youth group focuses on college students learning to live a “crossover culture.” It means the cross comes before culture or the importance of living in faith rather than falling victim to society’s norms and ways.
Beyond her extracurriculars, Jazzrein earned Dean’s List in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She made the NJCAA All-Academic First Team with a 4.0 GPA for her 2019/2020 school year, and she’s a member of the Honor Society. She’s also slated to earn the President’s Award at RCBC’s 51st annual commencement.
Robinson will transfer to Bloomfield College this fall on an academic and athletic scholarship, where she plans to study elementary education. She hopes to teach fifth grade and take part in creating a curriculum that emphasizes life skills, such as holistic health, emotional intelligence, mindfulness and financial planning.
“Essentially, the main goal of my life is to plant trees under whose shade I do not plan to sit,” Robinson shared. “Despite the different aspects of my life, each holds true to this principle. I strive to be of service to others. As a future educator, my goal is to impact children by instilling hope and readiness to a promising future. I want to teach students what many people in my generation and earlier never learned or learned too late.”
