Chelsea Robl

Call it a “slam dunk” or a “sure thing,” or even a “no brainer.” That’s what Chelsea Robl thought her college choice was. The SVSU freshman (2005-06) native from Bruce Crossing in the western Upper Peninsula was absolutely, positively bound for Northern Michigan University.  She started dual enrollment the summer after her junior year in high school, was set with a full tuition scholarship, and called several members of her family NMU alums.

Call it kismet, call it karma, or simply call it a fortunate chance that brought together a young woman and a place she now calls home. Chelsea says three things happened that turned her into a Cardinal. The first, she met assistant director of admissions Craig Aimar at a high school recruiting event. She liked Craig immediately, and liked even more his conversation about the Award for Excellence scholarship (for students with a high school grade point average of 3.70 or better and ACT composite of 28 or better). Secondly, she says a real turning point was a senior (high school) English paper that she wrote on where she was going to school, and why. She says she read it and re-read it, and its lack of passion made her wonder if there was something missing in her choice. She visited another northern Michigan school and then she visited SVSU. “It just felt right,” Chelsea says, and “by 3 p.m. (that day), I knew I would be here. I felt like I was supposed to be here.”

In one year at SVSU, the athletic training major has been involved in numerous activities, led more programs and won more awards than most students accomplish in a full college career. She started making a difference the moment she came to SVSU, even though she laughs now at the thought that she knew only three people when she arrived on campus. She has a lot more planned for her sophomore year. But that’s how Chelsea likes it. She calls her life “ridiculously hectic,” and grins.

Her freshman year included involvement in the Student Association and its successful Valentine’s Day Dance, University Resident Association, team member of an Alternative Breaks trip to New York City, tour guide for “Club Red” tours of campus, member of the AIDS Quilt planning committee (Student Life project to bring AIDS quilt to campus), and member of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity that engaged in such activities as a campus clean up, Relay for Life (American Cancer Society) and Up ’til Dawn (St. Jude Research Hospital). Chelsea won the Most Outstanding Resident Award from the Michigan Campus Compact, and on campus was recognized with the First Year Experience Award from the Olivia Lake Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary, and SVSU’s Rising Leader Award, which she co-shared with fellow freshman Mary Dieterli.

Can students get so wrapped up in their extracurricular activities that they forget about the educational part of their university experience? Maybe some students do, but not Chelsea. As an Award for Excellence recipient, Chelsea must maintain a grade point average of 3.50 or better. With her University Foundation Scholarship, she receives $1,000 to be used for Study Abroad or a research project.

As far as her career goal goes, Chelsea is certain that this is one sure-thing-dream that she hopes becomes a sure-thing-reality. She wants to be an athletic trainer for a professional football team — specifically, for the Green Bay Packers. She calls it a “U.P. thing.”