Coffee and Sour Cream. If you know her, then you will know exactly who this week’s senior spotlight is on: none other than Mari Robin! She describes herself as hard-working, talkative, and energetic, but driven is another word that absolutely belongs on that list. Mari Robin joined the RMA family in Kindergarten, and the class of 2023 would definitely not be the same without her. I think her friend Riley Bowles speaks for everyone when she says “Mari Robin has been one of my closest friends since the second grade. Her bright energy never fails to uplift me, however, you can absolutely find her distraught with tears streaming down her face after she has just received any sort of grade that is not an A. Mari Robin is a dependent and reliable friend that is always someone I can go to if I want a good laugh, and I am so lucky to always have her as my friend.”

Mari Robin is one of the hardest-working people you will ever meet. She is dedicated to both her school work and extracurricular activities. Her commitment to studying can be seen in her impressive class list consisting of Honors French 4, AP Calculus, AP English, AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, and Media Office. A Dr. K Scholar and Turner Battle scholar, her diligent studying has certainly not gone unnoticed. While she excels in all academic areas, her real talent lies in English. She has been recognized for this ability with the Best Essay Award in 9th and 10th grades and Academic Excellence in Honors English 11. Clearly a language person, she also shines in French, where she has received Academic Excellence in all of the three years she has taken it. 

In addition to her studies, Mari Robin is extremely active in many clubs here at RMA. She is the President of both Key Club and Beta Club, and she is a member of FCA, EC Help Club, National Honor Society, and the Global Studies Honors Program. She is also the secretary of the Media Office! Mari Robin brings her all to every single club she participates in, making her a valuable member to every team she is on. She is also on the Varsity Tennis team, a sport at which she excels. She can be found on the tennis court after every school day, working for hours at a time to improve her skills! 

Outside of school, Mari Robin’s favorite activity is working at Camp Albemarle. This is her favorite place in the whole world, and she has attended every summer since she was six years old. She has been on the staff for two summers now as a counselor and plans to continue to do so through college. She loves the camp dances, sailing, Vespers, and just spending time with her best friends on staff and all her campers. She is also very active in her church, First Presbyterian. She is a youth deacon, goes to Montreat most summers, and attends youth group regularly. Her favorite part of youth group is the Thursday Dunkin’ breakfasts before school each month. In her (limited) spare time, Mari Robin loves spending time with others, shopping, playing tennis and, you guessed it, going to Dunkin! 

This fall, Mari Robin is applying to UNC, NCSU, Davidson, UVA, USC and Wake Forest, with her top pick being UNC. She wants to major in Elementary Education, an area she will excel in and will definitely be prepared for with all of her camp experience. Mari Robin is definitely going to go very far in life. Her hard-working spirit will allow her to do just about anything she sets her mind to, and her achievements will be boundless. We are very excited to see all the future holds for her and wish her the best of luck in college and everything that follows after! 

Get to know Mari Robin:

What is your favorite movie? 

Legally Blonde

Describe your dream vacation. 

My dream vacation would be to go back to the Bahamas with my family and our best friends, the Rose family. I would love to be able to swim with the pigs again.

Who is your role model? 

My role models are my mom and my camp counselors and co-workers. My mom has influenced me in so many ways, and I aspire to have a work ethic like hers. My camp counselors that I had as a camper showed me how to be the counselor that I am today and taught me so much about life and about myself. My co-workers are truly the best people I know and are the best example to look up to, and talking to them is always the highlight of my day.

What is something nobody knows about you? 

My full name

If you were trapped on a deserted island, what three things would you bring? 

A friend, a huge supply of Dunkin’ iced coffee, and my AP crash courses.

What will you miss about RMA? 

I will miss my friends, my teachers, and tennis the most. I have formed so many relationships through RMA and I will really miss being able to talk to all of those people on a daily basis. RMA tennis has been one of my favorite parts of school, and I will miss my team and the sport very much.

What is your funniest story at RMA? I think that my funniest story at RMA is when Dr. K said he would take care of my pet fish and then his turtle ate it the next day.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to an incoming freshman? Form relationships with your teachers and never be afraid to ask for help. Also, don’t drop Mr. Stone’s class! It  can be very tough at times, but also so rewarding!

What class would you take again, and why? Any class with Mr. Stone, most likely AP Gov, because I know how much he loves having his favorite student in class.