By: Savanny Savath, Staff Writer
There does not seem to be a moment when Marcelina Robinson—the woman who manages The Village market—is not smiling and laughing with anyone and everyone around her.
“Every day is funny. It’s always an interesting moment. I’m a funny girl. I try to keep everybody happy. I always try to be nice to everyone and try to make their day better than mine. That’s why I’m always greeting everyone ‘happy whatever day it is’ because you know, just that little something can help somebody out,” says Robinson.
It is Robinson’s second year managing the on-campus market, where students can purchase various items like snacks and other apartment essentials. She previously worked at the Zach’s Food Court and has been a part of the Wofford community for seven to eight years now.
“I worked at Bi-Lo for 13 years, and I had maxed out there to where I couldn’t move up or anything else. Nothing but management. So one day I said I wanted a change and I walked out on faith. At the time, Eric Lake was the manager [at Wofford]. He called me in for an interview and said I could have the job that day,” says Robinson.
Aside from Wofford and working, Robinson graduated from Spartanburg Technical College, studying early childhood education. She loves to shop and travels to New York and Ohio where she visits family.
“I love to go to church. I attend Island Creek Baptist Church in Cowpens, S.C. Most people who know me personally know that I have a child who keeps me young. I am a single mother. My son is 24. I guess that’s what keeps me so spunky because I have to keep up with him so that way I can keep up with all of my friends and family here, my youth,” says Robinson.
In addition to managing the market, Robinson also helps students when they are undergoing tough situations.
“I feel like here at this school, if you are on the outside looking in, [you see] a good perspective, a good outlook. But I feel that for this to be a small school like we are, everybody should be welcomed. And some people—like I had a student a few years ago, she used to come see me every day and she told me that if it wasn’t for me, she would’ve quit. She felt like the school was—well, not the school—but a lot of people in it were not her type or…not saying racist but she just felt like she wasn’t welcomed. We still keep in touch. She calls me her mom. That really opened my heart. That you have people that come and confide in you and you’re not really family,” says Robinson.
Once Robinson even stopped what she was doing in the market to help a distressed student.
“Last year, there was a young lady here that was crying. She was just bawling her eyes out and I stopped what I was doing. I told them that they got to hold up. I went out and I talked to her. At the end of the day she came back. She [said], ‘I want to tell you thank you because there were several people that passed by me and didn’t care what was going on, but you got off your job and came out here just to check up on me and I just want to thank you for that.’ So that’s why I try to reach out to everybody, talk to them and lend an ear. You never know how you could help someone,” says Robinson.
