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I Spy: Jessie Robinson serves up smiles in CINO Grille

by Foster

Being a campus celebrity is no easy task, but Jessie Robinson always finds time to greet her fans in CINO Grille. Do not let her celebrity status fool you – she has a heart of gold and truly cares about her job, coworkers and the students she serves each day.

Robinson is a Conway native who graduated from Conway High School, stayed in the area for a few years and then moved to Atlanta. She couldn’t stay away from her South Carolina roots and eventually found her way back. “I’m home in Conway,” she says. “This is where I belong.”

She worked as a cashier at Waccamaw Pottery for 10 years until it closed. Her sweet tooth then led her to a job at Krispy Kreme in Myrtle Beach. Some days she filled doughnuts with various crèmes then found herself back at the cash register. The only task Robinson could not do was actually cook the doughnuts. “The tray was just too heavy for me,” she says. “I could not lift the tray high enough even if I had really wanted to.”

She applied to be a cashier at The Commons dining hall (now Hicks) on CCU’s campus in September of 2001, and has been here ever since. Robinson holds CCU close to her heart. “I have been working here for 16 years, and I still love it,” she says.

Her humor is one of her most outstanding qualities. When a student is in CINO with baggy pants, Robinson says, “If I wanted to see boxers, I would do my son’s laundry!” She enjoys making people laugh in the short time she spends checking out their food at CINO. During busy times, she still tries her best to make students smile while getting them on their way. Her kindness has not gone unnoticed, and Robinson now has students stop by to hug her and make sure she’s having a good day.

When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family. Her 4-year-old granddaughter Zoey keeps her very busy. Robinson says she finds herself at the Chick-fil-A playground watching Zoey run around way too often. The two also spend a lot of time arguing over which TV shows they are going to watch, but somehow the Disney Channel always seems to win.

When she’s not fulfilling grandma duties, Robinson is in the kitchen with her husband, Keith. The two have been married for 36 years and have three children. She says he has always been the better chef, and she’s happy to be his assistant.

The couple is passionate about helping others and serving God. They often serve free meals at Greater St. James AME Church, where they are members. Robinson is involved in the church as an usher, missionary group member, stewardess and hospitality group member. She even sings in the choir. “I like to sing, just not all the time,” she says. “The choir will be singing and sometimes I just give them encouragement or back them up.”

Robinson is always ready to lend a helping hand on or off campus. “Anytime you need something, please just ask me for help,” she says. “If I’m available, I will do it and if I can’t, I will find someone who can.” Students appreciate Robinson’s humor and kind heart. “She is the sweetest woman and always has a smile on her face that will brighten your day,” says Taylor Anderson, a senior at CCU.

“I can’t help students with their classes, but I can make sure they are happy and have something to eat,” says Robinson. She is grateful for every day she wakes up and is able to go into a job she loves. She only signs autographs on certain days, but she always makes time to tell a joke or share a smile.

 

 


 

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