D ET E R M I N A T I O N
STEP UP, SPEAK UP, AND MOVE FORWARD BY EMMA W R I GHT ('2 0)
SHARICA (RICA) ROBINSON, a member of Southern Nazarene University’s first cohort in the Doctor of Education program, has persevered throughout her life against enormous odds to become a passionate and successful professional in the STEM field (science, technology, engineering and math). As an African American woman, Robinson’s success in the field is both a professional and personal achievement, providing representation in a field historically dominated by men, and few minorities. Growing up in Oklahoma City, Robinson’s tenacious journey began early, saying, “As a young African American focusing on success, perseverance is the definition of my life: having a determination to be successful despite the obstacles that society sets up for us to fail.” Driven by this idea, she participated in a multitude of extracurricular activities and found herself the class president and valedictorian of Southeast High School. Succeeding both in her community and academically, Robinson was awarded the prestigious Clara Luper Scholarship through Oklahoma City University : “As a Clara Luper scholar, it was an amazing opportunity for me. I was a first-generation college student from a single-family household, and as a young African American woman… it provided me the opportunity to go to college with a full-ride.”
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SNU MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
SNU.EDU/ALUMNI
